> Imagine you're the one running a business where you keep repeatedly trying to shove some feature down your user's throat.

> What's that called in business school?

Pretty sure it's called inflating metrics. Things that get pushed on you (see many AI features, my pet peeve, especially at google) are not wanted (or they wouldn't need to be pushed) but someone has a big stake in showing uptake, e.g. promises made to investors that this would drive revenue.

> That I have no where else to go to see the content I want to see smells like a de-facto monopoly.

Not in this case, since the content makers can choose to host the digital files on a computer not owner by Alphabet.

Your situation is simply the content maker betting that it is not worth their time to try to earn a return by hosting on a non Alphabet computer.

But Alphabet is doing nothing to stop the content maker and you from reaching a deal.

> But Alphabet is doing nothing to stop the content maker and you from reaching a deal.

They bought DoubleClick, which Microsoft and others felt strongly enough about to warn the FTC that might give Google too much control over online advertising. Seems like Meta is their only real competition on that front these days.

It's a form of bundling.