Earlier quoted context omitted.
Youtube premium also includes other features, such as ability to download videos to view offline (e.g. flights). But I also feel like you have an incorrect unstated assumption: People are not perfectly rational. The difference between paying $0 and paying $1 is ENORMOUSLY bigger than the difference between paying $1 and $12. C.f. people will spend hours finding the perfect app that is also free , instead of just payi…
Pirating YouTube videos with a third-party downloader also gives me the ability to download them for offline use, and see no ads.
For youtube I can. So I do. It's just a shame that so many industries give you a worse product than what you can pirate for free. I actually am willing to pay.