To be fair this is mostly a problem between ISPs, or with ISPs fleecing their (business) customers. A restrictive peering policy for a CDN is just batshit stup

To be fair this is mostly a problem between ISPs, or with ISPs fleecing their (business) customers. A restrictive peering policy for a CDN is just batshit stupid, and the CDNs know this and will peer with anything that doesn't run away fast enough. You do have to meet the CDNs at some PoP though, and that getting-there part is generally the real issue. Anything last mile is just… ugh.