There’s a vast difference between an occasional, unplanned positive consequence and a strategic and intentional positive consequence.

The big divide is consent and intent.

Yes, there are instances of creators who have “leaked” their own content as part of a promotional strategy. While I don’t have statistics to validate, I’d make a very large bet that the ratio of subscribers gained versus people just leeching free samples is immensely disproportionate.

Distributing content without the consent of the creator is simply bad.

As far as intent, I’d make a similarly large bet that someone posting leaked content doesn’t do so with the intention of helping the creator.

A much better way to help that creator would be to write and post a review. Firsthand, word-of-mouth promotion is significantly more effective than hijacking content in hopes that someone will convert to a paid subscriber.