[ben_jones]

Because eventually premium users will get ads too as we are seeing with many other streaming services.

First it’s pay, no ads. Then it’s higher tier for no ads. Then it’s higher tier no ads but watch a trailer at the beginning. Then it’s higher tier and ads.

[koube]

You're refusing to pay for a product today based on what they might do in the future? Does the future possibility degrade today's product? Can't you just cancel your subscription if ads start showing up?

[Zambyte]

> Does the future possibility degrade today's product?

In some cases, yes. I specifically don't use Spotify in part because I can possibly lose access to my playlists and music I listen to in the future. Building a music collection is a big part of listening to music for me, so the future possibilities of the service actually degrade todays product.

I don't watch streams so I don't have any input on Twitch, but I could imagine someone having a similar outlook.

[koube]

I don't use my twitch account ever anymore but I don't think there is really the same concept in twitch. I think most people probably watch 1-2 of their favorite streamers since watching streams is already such an incredibly time intensive activity. The most active someone can get is probably clipping short videos and curating clips.

I don't think you lose access to any of this when you unsubscribe, I think you just start seeing ads again when watching the live stream.

[mariusor]

Frankly they already did it once. If you had a subscription you used to not get any ads on any streams, since about a year they reneged on that, and a subscription grants you no ads *only on the subscribed channel.

[ben_jones]

“Vote with your wallet”

[hkwerf]

That's exactly what keeps me from even considering many subscriptions. As long as they're not clearly ad-free I don not care to even try them to check whether they are.

I'll happily pay for things like LWN, though, even though I'd get everything ad-free two weeks later anyhow.

[RajT88]

/\----- This.