Patriots, Kraft Group sue Foxborough over annual fees

New England Patriots

Plaintiffs allege town officials imposed nearly $1 million in new charges tied to the Gillette Stadium events.

Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, at the NFL Super Bowl in February. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Kraft Sports & Entertainment and the New England Patriots have filed a lawsuit against the Town of Foxborough over new financial obligations tied to Gillette Stadium’s entertainment license.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Norfolk Superior Court, accuses Foxborough officials of “repeatedly misusing its state-granted licensing authority unlawfully to extract funds” from the organizations that operate Gillette Stadium and its events.

According to the 52-page complaint, Foxborough’s Select Board had previously been authorized to charge a maximum annual fee of $100 to renew Gillette Stadium’s entertainment license.

But the plaintiffs — Kraft Sports, along with co-plaintiffs New England Patriots LLC, Kraft Soccer LLC, and NPS LLC — allege town officials used the 2026 renewal process to impose roughly $1 million in new administrative fees each year, the complaint states.

These new fees are added on top of “hundreds of thousands of dollars of improper administrative fees and related levies” the town was already collecting from the plaintiffs, according to the complaint.

In a statement to Boston.com, a Gillette Stadium spokesperson said the town — which has worked with Kraft Sports for more than two decades on event licensing — renewed the stadium’s annual entertainment license under “significantly different terms.”

The spokesperson said stadium officials met with the chair of the Select Board and other town leaders to better understand the changes and seek amendments to the license. Those discussions remain ongoing.

“Under the laws of the Commonwealth, the stadium must appeal legal issues with an event license within a specified time period in order to preserve its rights,” the spokesperson said. “While this appeal makes its way through the legal system, we intend to continue to work together with Town leaders to address these issues fairly for all.”

According to the complaint, plaintiffs allege the Select Board imposed the new conditions without seeking comment from residents and without providing due process required under state law when acting in a “quasi-judicial capacity.”

The plaintiffs are seeking a court order voiding portions of the license renewal that require payments to the town beyond the statutory $100 renewal fee, except for services provided under separately negotiated agreements. They are also seeking additional relief the court deems appropriate, the lawsuit states.

Foxborough officials defended the fees in a statement issued Tuesday, saying the 2026 entertainment license includes provisions requiring Kraft Sports to reimburse the town for “vital public safety and other municipal services” associated with stadium events.

Town officials said those services are necessary to “protect public health and safety” and ensure the town is “adequately prepared to manage large-scale events.”

“Security needs for stadium events are growing increasingly complex, and the conditions of the license issued by the Select Board were carefully crafted to ensure the health and safety of fans, concert-goers, employees, and area residents,” the statement said.

The town added that representatives from Foxborough and Kraft Sports have “routinely discussed” public safety concerns.

Before taking Foxborough to court, the plaintiffs proposed increasing payments to Foxborough’s general fund through higher revenue-sharing from Gillette Stadium concerts in exchange for the town assuming responsibility for municipal service costs, according to the complaint. The town has not agreed to this proposal.

“Throughout discussions with Kraft Sports + Entertainment’s representatives, the Town’s position has remained consistent: Foxborough residents should not be asked to subsidize the municipal costs associated with privately operated events,” the town’s statement reads.

Town officials further said as the appeal has not yet been reviewed, they are currently withholding comment on the specific allegations it contains.

“The Town will respond through the appropriate legal process and will continue to advocate for an outcome that protects the interests of the Foxborough community,” the statement concludes.

The lawsuit also cites what plaintiffs describe as a broader pattern of Foxborough using its licensing authority to impose excessive costs on stadium operations.

Among the examples cited in the complaint, plaintiffs claim they pay approximately $300,000 annually for wastewater services despite treating and reusing wastewater on-site and not discharging wastewater into the town’s sewer system. The lawsuit also alleges the organizations pay hundreds of thousands of dollars annually through the town’s $10-per-space commercial parking licensing system.

The lawsuit marks the latest dispute between the Kraft organization and Foxborough officials over the costs associated with major events at Gillette Stadium.

Earlier this year, a disagreement over security expenses briefly raised questions about preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to bring a total of seven matches to Gillette Stadium.

In March, members of Foxborough’s Select Board said they would not approve the entertainment license required for the matches unless the Kraft Group agreed to cover an estimated $7.8 million in public safety costs. Town officials argued that Foxborough taxpayers should not bear the expense of hosting a global sporting event.

The dispute was ultimately resolved after the Kraft Group agreed to cover the security costs, clearing the way for the World Cup matches to move forward.

Kraft Sports and Entertainment LLC et al vs. Town of Foxborough by samantha.genzer