I mean. I like seeing merch from my favorite creators and sometimes I buy it. T-shirts are cool. It’s easier for me to know what’s available if there are thumbnails large enough for me to actually see the product.

And these links appear below the video, they are not intrusive to the watching experience in any way whatsoever. So yeah, I genuinely think this is a huge overreaction.

I pay for premium and not even once have I thought anything other than “oh cool, this channel has merch”