It may be the case that it wasn't sustainable, but I doubt money is the factor. I think Valve is just less invested in Dota these days. Regardless of what is the reason, I miss TI feeling more special. I'm the opposite of you I guess, I miss TI being a huge festival of Dota. I miss the huge installations around KeyArena and Kaci talking to people around the Secret Shop. I miss the shots of people watching the huge screens outside on the grass enjoying a festival atmosphere. I miss the goofy All-Star matches.

TI just feels like any other big LAN event nowadays, which is a shame.