There is more free content made every day online than one person could consume in their entire life. Even when 99% of it is garbage, that 1% is still more than you can fill your time with.
I read a few dozen webcomics, most of which have patreons, but I don't get ads on my rss feeds for them, and there are thousands of webcomics. And artists. And musicians. There are dozens of websites for hobbyist, amateur, and even freelance professional games, animations, etc.
There is a fraction of pirates that will pay for content they would otherwise torrent because they want that content. But that doesn't imply they are more likely to buy entertainment. A portion probably just turn to free legal sources.
There is more free content made every day online than one person could consume in their entire life. Even when 99% of it is garbage, that 1% is still more than you can fill your time with.
I read a few dozen webcomics, most of which have patreons, but I don't get ads on my rss feeds for them, and there are thousands of webcomics. And artists. And musicians. There are dozens of websites for hobbyist, amateur, and even freelance professional games, animations, etc.
There is a fraction of pirates that will pay for content they would otherwise torrent because they want that content. But that doesn't imply they are more likely to buy entertainment. A portion probably just turn to free legal sources.