I am one of those suckers (:sigh) who paid for Youtube since it bundled Youtube Music with it. However, today I used the latter’s Revanced version and it was so much customizable. Right from removing menu items to the stupid cast button Google has forced on us; it seems a billion dollar company can’t compete with these folks who make their apps so much more serviceable.
I don’t wish to go too much into the official Youtube client which too is tacked with things like Remix button and what not.
Telemetry, advertising, etc. are ultimately web page elements that I can download or block. The paid offering might have a TOS that requires acceptance of such, but those terms do not bind me as a free, public visitor. I think Youtube is doing its best to have people buy its nonsense argument, as part of a wider campaign to shift the public’s understanding of web site versus web service. For what it’s worth, I don’t see them ever putting their money where their mouth is by pay-walling the whole site.