NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - - Ruben may have beaten Clay, but that may not matter so much. Simply making it to the finals of "American Idol" has made both young men famous. Soon, they will also be rich.

No matter who wins, the Fox network has scored another hit with Madison Avenue. CNNfn's J.J. Ramberg takes a look at the embedded advertising in "American Idol." Play video (Real or Windows Media)

The TV singing contest has catapulted its contestants from anonymity to stardom in just a few months. Now, as the show reaches its loud crescendo, it's payday for many people involved.

"The finale will be one big commercial for whichever single the winner releases," says Carla Hay, Billboard magazine's film and TV editor.

Last year's winner, diva-in-training Kelly Clarkson, has learned about the relationship between on-air promotion and sales. The show made a blockbuster out of her recording of "A Moment Like This."

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More recently, her album, "Thankful," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling 297,000 copies in its first week. To put that into context: The CD outsold Madonna's latest disc, "American Life" (also a No. 1 debut), by almost 20 percent.

Clarkson should be thankful, indeed. But on "American Idol," even losers win. Just about anyone finishing near the top should show some gratitude for the way the program has boosted their careers.

Take last year's runner-up, Justin Guarini, for example. Before "Idol," the Doylestown, Pa., native was another mop-topped nobody. Now, he has his own record deal, with an album due out in June.

He also will co-star with Clarkson in the movie "From Justin to Kelly," sort of a "Beach Blanket Bingo" for people who have never heard of Annette Funicello. The movie was written, not coincidentally, by Kim Fuller, sister of "Idol" producer Simon Fuller (not to be confused with obnoxious co-host Simon Cowell).

Here's a partial list of economic opportunities arising from the show:

Record deals. Besides Clarkson and Guarini, numerous performers have secured contracts. A deal itself is no guarantee of success, of course. But the promotional tie-ins from being associated with the show provide unusual marketing leverage.

TV deals. After finishing fourth in last year's competition, Tamyra Gray immediately began starring in "Boston Public," a Fox drama. This year, losing contestant Kimberly Caldwell impressed somebody enough to secure a contract to host an extreme sports program for Fox Sports.

Concerts. Last fall, an "American Idol" tour showed the potential of a live concert series, playing to generally large audiences. This summer, the tour is going national, with appearances scheduled for major venues in 39 cities. "You're taking acts that meant absolutely nothing a few months ago, and putting them in an arena setting," says Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of Pollstar, a concert industry trade publication.

Movies. "From Justin to Kelly" opens June 13. Don't expect a Bergman film. "The story is about how we sort of get together, or try and get together," Guarini explained to MTV. "But there's this massive miscommunication and this evil friend gets in the way."

TV Commercials. Last year, a number of finalists, including Tamyra Gray, appeared in national spots promoting Old Navy, and some did local advertising as well.

Musicals. "A lot of the finalists have talents that may be more suited to theater than anything else," says Hay. "Some of them will probably end up on Broadway." Controversial contestant Frenchie Davis – expelled from the show after it was revealed that she'd posed for pornographic pictures – just landed a role in the musical "Rent."

While the show may change the lives of its fresh-faced contestants, it certainly has been a boon to its British producer, 19 Group, run by Simon Fuller, the pop impresario who introduced the Spice Girls to the world.

Industry experts estimate that Fox pays 19 Group as much as $1 million per episode. The company also benefits from various other sponsorship tie-ins.

Fuller's company is textbook of celebrity cross-marketing. It produces the show, then manages the careers of its winners, then produces their records and pushes them out through a distribution deal 19 has signed with RCA. When future editions of the program come out, says Billboard's Hay, "It's very easy for 19 to just bring old contestants back on the show to keep them in the public eye."

The nationwide concert tour also keeps the promotional engine humming. Last year's 30-day tour grossed $8.1 million, according to Pollstar. Hopes are higher for the larger effort this year, encompassing the peak concert months of July and August. "The concert business is much more art than science," says Bongiovanni. But 19 Group's success last year made everyone much more confident.

Fuller and his company have been accused of exploiting their stable of singers. Royalty rates for new artists are rarely generous to begin with, but even by the standards of the music business, 19 Group's practices have been called particularly aggressive.

Contestants sign away a wide variety of rights in perpetuity, from their singing to use of their likeness. When the standard "Idol" contract was leaked and appeared on a Web site, one entertainment lawyer called it "the worst rendition of the industry."

Then there's the show's shameless self-marketing. You can buy such paraphernalia as an "American Idol" sportswatch, or a sweatsuit, or water bottles. Baseball caps and hooded sweatshirts are also available, along with any manner of music related items, from Idol-branded karaoke machines and CD cases, or the Clarkson disc, or an album of love songs recorded by various contestants.

There is even a Simon Cowell bobble-head doll, available on eBay. Press a button, and it hurls insults at you: "That was really pathetic."