Note that video caching systems like P2P networks can potentially serve video to extremely large numbers of users while consuming reasonably low levels of upstream bandwidth.
The total bandwidth used is the same though, no escaping that, someone pays.
Then local users use local bandwidth to get copies of that broadcast over the next few days.
If it was only redistributed locally. Even in that case it's not helping much as it still consumes the most expensive bandwidth (for UK ADSL). Transit is way cheaper than BT ADSL wholesale, you're saving something that's cheap.
For this to work, you need P2P software whose algorithms are geared to conserving upstream bandwidth
Or the caches that are being sold to fudge the protocols to keep it local but if you're buying them we could have just as easily done http download and let it be cached by existing appliances. brandon