OMG. It seems that tech follow exactly the path of the media (TV, newspapers)- if we were paying customers, the tech would be tailored to our needs. But, since we aren't, the tech is tailored to needs of advertising, which leads to bizzare aberrations such as this one. Similarly, free-to-play/pay-to-win games' design is not about the player getting the best experience, but about compelling them to spend as much on in-game purchases.
It's a shame we are such cheapskates that we prefer to suffer such crappy tactics instead of paying for a decent service or content.