"WWE Raw" guest host promotion fails "The Goods"

Jeremy Piven's "WWE Raw" guest host stint is apparently failing to bring wrestling fans to see new movie "The Goods: Live Hard, Die Hard." The preliminary returns at BoxOfficeGuru.com have "The Goods" scoring only a $5.35 million opening weekend, well below the other opening films in wide release.

Piven had appeared on non-traditional programs including "WWE Raw" and "Big Brother 11" in an attempt to drum up business for the R-rated comedy flick. The promotional efforts clearly were in vain. If anything, the emphasis on "The Goods" in the scripting of the "WWE Raw" program itself actively annoyed significant numbers of wrestling fans.

Although other factors were in play, the failure of "The Goods" underscores the severely limited utility that WWE programming has as a promotional device for advertisers. It remains difficult if not impossible for WWE viewers to be persuaded to support products other than WWE.