Inspired by this video of Inter Milan playing in an empty stadium due to coronavirus.
I’m guessing there were actually about 100-200 or so people in the building that day.
Teams: 20(?) or so on each side.
Other Team Employees: 10-15 per, on each side, to include coaching and medical staff, equipment quartermaster, etc.
Audio/Video, Tech, Other Broadcast-Related People: 20(?) people inside the building required to get the game broadcast to the world.
Officials: 5(?) on the field, maybe 3(?) substitutes.
Other People Who Need To Be There: Maybe a total of 10 people, to include execs from each team’s head office, execs from the league, maybe a FIFA guy.
[nitpick]Don’t you mean “excluding spectators”? Some of the spectators may not be fans of either team; they may just be there with friends or family.[/nitpick]
It probably makes a big difference whether you’re asking “excluding fans, how many people are at a sporting event at which spectators are present” (which would include vendors, ticket agents, security, etc.) or “how many people are at a sporting event at which no spectators are present?”
Either way, did you leave out “grounds crew” type employees who are responsible for the conditions of the facilities?
I would not be at all surprised to find one or two thousand people present, aside from the customers - the team’s support staff, the team’s managerial staff, maintenance staff, vendors and their staff, media personalities & technical staff, etc.
No need for vendors if there are no spectators. Very little demand for maintenance, I would think.
I should have been clear that I meant my question to apply to (admittedly exceptionally-rare) cases when fans are not going to be there, due to law, natural disaster, what have you.
The NBA sent a request to all teams to determine the specific number of “essential” personnel that would be needed at games in the event they cancel spectators at the games in light of the coronavirus.
Many athletes have expressed that if spectators are not permitted at games then they would not play.