Reality and principles don't always align. There's a "rubber meets road" moment where you have to decide what your principles are worth. I do not believe there was any rationale behind this pricing decision. I believe it is pure greed, and you're not likely to change my mind.

I clutch my principles rather tightly, especially in cases like this. I will never pay for a streaming service whose first payment tier is "less ads", nor will I ever pay for a _newspaper_ of all things whose first premium tier is "less ads".

I don't think double-dipping is laudable, and I don't think we should encourage it. Their (in)ability to fund their business isn't my problem, frankly.