The assertion that non-paying customers do not provide value to a business is patently and demonstrably false. Especially in a free market.

A platform like YouTube benefits from non-paying customers because these customers still drive engagement and help solidify market share.

Non-paying customers still consume sponsor spots, which benefits creators, keeping creators on YouTube and therefore still benefitting YouTube.

Non-paying customers will promote YouTube just by using it, even for free, and create the impression that YouTube is the only game in town, instead of looking for and promoting alternatives.

Having a non-paying customer on your platform is in most ways better than having that customer become a paying customer on a competing platform.

The only time this dynamic no longer holds true is if YouTube believes their position is so entrenched that there is no more competition and they can squeeze the users all they want (end game enshitification).