FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - The Kraft Sports + Entertainment Group filed a complaint against the Town of Foxboro, accusing it improperly charging fees to renew Gillette Stadium’s entertainment license.
In the 52-page complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court, the Kraft Sports + Entertainment Group said, “…this case is about Foxborough repeatedly misuing its state-granted licensing authority unlawfully to extract funds from Plaintiffs.”
According to court documents, the Town of Foxboro sent Kraft-owned companies a bill for more than $950,000 in April to renew Gillette Stadium’s annual Entertainment License. The Kraft Group claims state law caps that license fee at just $100 per year. The complaint is asking a judge to invalidate the fees.
The company also said it already pays about $4 million a year for police and fire details at stadium events.
In a statement, the Town of Foxboro said that it is, “…disappointed that Kraft Sports + Entertainment has chosen to appeal the annual Entertainment License issued by the Select Board. 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 Town said it previously implemented provisions requiring the Kraft Group reimburse the town for “…vital public safety and other municipal services necessary to support events held at Gillette Stadium” as part of the 2026 Entertainment License issued by the Select Board. It said representatives of the Town and the Kraft Group “routinely discussed” the need to ensure public safety ahead of the World Cup and other events at the stadium.
The Town continued, “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.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Gillette Stadium said in part, “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. 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.”
Foxboro leaders said they have not yet had an opportunity to review the appeal, and were unable to comment on the specific claims being raised.
This dispute is separate from the FIFA World Cup license negotiations between Foxboro and the Kraft Group which were resolved in March.
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