Where does this idea that YouTube couldn't exist without ads? Not with it's current architecture, sure, but do people really lack the imagination to see a web with videos that aren't served by a monopoly? Peer-to-peer sharing has been around for a very long time and works very well. You can share large content right now with essentially no extra cost (you already pay for bandwidth, you already have storage etc).
The trouble is finding said content. There is a huge conflict of interest due to the most popular search engine also owning the most popular centralised content platform. This should never have been allowed to happen, but here we are.
The trouble is finding said content. There is a huge conflict of interest due to the most popular search engine also owning the most popular centralised content platform. This should never have been allowed to happen, but here we are.