Nowhere on the linked page at least does it say that it was due to cost. It would seem more likely to me that it was a question of nobody wanting to bother standing up for the videos. If nobody wants to take the fight, the default judgement becomes to take it down.

Building a ramp solves a problem. Pointing at a ramp 5 blocks away 7 years later and asking "doesn't this solve this issue" doesn't.