![](/static/253f0d9b/assets/icons/icon-96x96.png)
![](https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/pictrs/image/a18b0c69-23c9-4b2a-b8e0-3aca0172390d.png)
Yeah, it’s silly. It’s an entire industry built on “frivolous”, optional consumption. They are making a killing even WITH piracy. They (the studios, etc.) make so much money that they can afford to selectively offer their product only to certain streaming services, region locked, and some of them have even paid to develop their own streaming platforms just for fun.
All they have to do is put their product on the real market, let any platform stream it for a licensing fee, and offer things that people actually want to buy: physical media and silly trinkets.
They’re trying to squeeze blood from a stone. If they were struggling, they’d just let me buy their product for a reasonable fee instead of making me jump through hoops and watch commercials.
I always ask myself who will buy the products these companies produce if all the workers have been fired. Maybe inflation is just the natural ramp up to McDonald’s charging 5,000 dollars for automated chicken nuggets when there are only billionaire left with money lol.