If you're streaming any kind of volume of data from AWS, you're pretty much burning money compared to other services, unless you've secured steep discounts on the published prices.
I too have run networks for companies that's been in business 10+ years, with as many servers, and I've done that on both AWS, colo'd servers, managed servers, and hybrid setups of all of that, and I've yet to see an instance where AWS was cost effective at published prices for base load.
I have seen AWS be cost effectively used to handle spikes or batch jobs, and I have recommended it for clients that care more about the brand name (to tell their customers for example) than cost, or have very specific needs. I have also seen it used cost effectively once you get big enough to secure steep discounts.
I too have run networks for companies that's been in business 10+ years, with as many servers, and I've done that on both AWS, colo'd servers, managed servers, and hybrid setups of all of that, and I've yet to see an instance where AWS was cost effective at published prices for base load.
I have seen AWS be cost effectively used to handle spikes or batch jobs, and I have recommended it for clients that care more about the brand name (to tell their customers for example) than cost, or have very specific needs. I have also seen it used cost effectively once you get big enough to secure steep discounts.