Is the main benefit of an archived link that the related content remains accessible in the event the direct link becomes inaccessible?
That's correct. It preserves the original link as a mirror in case its content gets deleted/censored/modified or simply if the website goes down.
It may also work for websites with paywalls or geo-block (based on the location of your IP).
IN ADDITION
It also stops the originall site (example, MSM site) from receiving any ad-revenue from clicks or user data, because no one actually visits the MSM site, they only visit the static archived page.
lol I realized I forgot to mention that important part, but you did it for me before I could edit my comment.
Thanks bud!
(post is archived)