My observation isn't limited to that segment (I've never actually seen any content from them). Attention is finite and eventually each niche becomes a zero-sum

My observation isn't limited to that segment (I've never actually seen any content from them). Attention is finite and eventually each niche becomes a zero-sum game of competing over limited eyeballs. Once it becomes competitive, spending money becomes the best lever available to the content creators. I don't think this necessarily applies to all influencers like those with loyal followings, but it's a general pattern I've observed.