What’s different this time around is the broader viewership across the country. Many more people are watching in the South and in cities in the middle of the country. According to ESPN data, Oklahoma City’s metered markets had a 143 percent increase in Cup viewership from 2010. Columbus viewership jumped by 71 percent; and viewership in Birmingham, Ala., grew by 100 percent. Each of these cities has increased its immigrant population during the last 15 years by at least 50 percent; in Birmingham the number of foreign-born residents doubled from 2000 to 2010.

The broadening of the audience can be seen in another set of statistics. In 2010, the markets that had the 10 highest Nielsen ratings for World Cup telecasts (ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC combined) included Boston and Baltimore, but they have fallen out of that list this year. The Southern cities Richmond, Va.; Orlando; and Atlanta have moved into the top 10, drawing comparable ratings to New York’s four years earlier. Washington holds the top spot this year.