But then you'd probably not get any of the benefits of being on the YouTube platform (discoverability, advertisers already on board, targeting etc), so it starts to make more sense when you consider what the platform is giving you for "free".
It would be similarly ridiculous if all apps in the App Store were free and you were paid some small amount per app-invocation that you had no control over.
Just not showing content when there isn't enough adds available surely would drive away watchers. And the advertisers are already bidding. Certain types of content get higher pay.
And the video makers and article writers can already contact advertisers and ask for whatever price they want.
