[JackFr]

> Ad experts and entertainment companies have known this for decades,

Ad experts and entertainment companies have claimed this for decades, and who knows, it may even be true. But it is true that it's how they justify getting paid.

[shadowgovt]

Given the time scales in question and the law of averages, I believe it is safe to assume that there is real value in exchange for money received in that transaction. To claim otherwise is to approach conspiracy-theory levels of people having to "buy into a scam and not give the game away" for those industries to have not collapsed.