Robert Kraft, Patriots Suing Town of Foxboro: What We Know Right Now
Robert Kraft's New England Patriots and The Kraft Group has filed a lawsuit against the town of Foxboro this week over an entertainment license fee of nearly $1 million dollars related to hosting the World Cup.
Filed through Kraft Sports and Entertainment LLC in Norfolk Superior Court, the Patriots argue that the town improperly charged them administrative fees far more than allowed. The lawsuit says that the town -- which had been at odds with FIFA during the lead-up into the World Cup this year -- sent the Patriots an invoice for more than $950,000 to renew Gillette Stadium's entertainment license.
Gillette Stadium, now referred to as Boston Stadium, is set to host to seven World Cup games this summer, including a quarterfinal matchup on July 9.
"The immediate precipitating basis for this lawsuit is a recent renewal of Gillette Stadium's entertainment license," the lawsuit states, via The Boston Herald. "Foxborough has state authorization to charge Plaintiffs a maximum fee of $100 each year to renew the Stadium's entertainment license. This April, Foxborough used what should have been a routine entertainment license renewal as a pretext to charge Plaintiffs approximately $1 million annually in new administrative fees."
Why The Patriots, Robert Kraft Are Suing Foxboro:
The lawsuit also states that these feeds come after "hundreds of thousands of dollars of improter administrative fees" that were previously being charged to the Patriots. This comes after The Kraft Group and the town's select board had a public rift over a federal $7.8 million safety bill, one that Foxboro argued the organization did not pay upfront. It was eventually cleared up, with the town not responsible to pay for any FIFA-related costs.
The entertainment license in question would require private stadium operators -- in this case, Robert Kraft -- to reimburse Foxboro for public safety and service costs to support events held at the stadium.
Foxboro town bylaws require a license when ticket sales surpass 15,000, the lawsuit argues.
"The Town, through its licensing authority, has an obligation to ensure that the costs associated with private events are borne by the entities that conduct and benefit from those events, rather than by Foxborough taxpayers," the Foxboro Select Board said in a statement.
In the lawsuit, The Kraft Group argues that these charges were placed without "seeking comment from Foxborough's residents and without presenting any witnesses or evidence," as well as alleging the town "used licensing powers and other administrative means to extract large payments." The plaintiffs argue these funds go to "miscellaneous administrative funding."
Kraft's Role In World Cup Committee Played A Part
Kraft was the chairman of the committee that helped bring the World Cup to North America, the first time World Cup games would be played in Foxboro since 1999. The town of Foxboro says that Kraft stepped in to unwrite the $7.8 million paycheck to eventually get the deal across the finish line.
"For more than two decades, the Town of Foxborough and Gillette Stadium have worked cooperatively and thoughtfully to license events at Gillette Stadium, contributing to the success of the stadium, the Town, and the region," a statement from a stadium spokesman said, via The Athletic. "Earlier this year, the Town renewed the stadium's annual event license on significantly different terms. Since that occurred, stadium management has met with the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and other Town leaders to learn the reasons for the modifications and to work towards an amendment to the stadium lease that would build upon our decades-long partnership.
"The Kraft Group ... Has Agreed To Bear Such Costs"
"Those negotiations 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. 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."
The Patriots, who have played in Gillette Stadium since it was built in 2002, say that that payment has come with fees they call unlawful. In response, Foxboro is saying that complex security needs are part of the reason why these funds were charged.
"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 select board said. "This position is also reflected in the Town's long-term lease of the stadium land, under which the Kraft Group, as lessee, has agreed to bear such costs."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Robert Kraft, Patriots Suing Town of Foxboro: What We Know Right Now.
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 7:00 AM.