Kraft Sports + Entertainment

What Kraft Sports + Entertainment does

Kraft Sports + Entertainment (KSE) is the sports and entertainment operating division of The Kraft Group, a privately-held, family-controlled conglomerate led by Robert Kraft (Chairman/Founder) and Jonathan Kraft (President). The entity owns and operates three core assets: the New England Patriots (NFL franchise, acquired by the Kraft family in 1994), the New England Revolution (MLS charter franchise established in 1996), and Gillette Stadium (a privately-financed NFL stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and one of the world's top grossing concert venues per Billboard). KSE oversees marketing, sales, content development, and event operations across these properties, delivering NFL games, MLS matches, concerts, and special events to New England audiences for more than 20 years. As of June 2026, KSE is actively managing FIFA World Cup 2026 hosting commitments at Gillette Stadium (rebranded as Boston Stadium for the tournament), seven scheduled matches from June 13 to July 9, 2026.

Revenue is generated across four streams: event ticketing (NFL, MLS, concerts, special events), corporate sponsorships (multi-year tiered packages, including a multiyear Sports Illustrated Tickets deal extended through the NFL Global Markets Program into Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), venue operations (concessions, merchandise, parking, hospitality), and media rights (NFL and MLS broadcast revenue). KSE is an LLC domiciled in Massachusetts, wholly owned within The Kraft Group, with no institutional investors or public listing disclosed. The company is also navigating regulatory friction with its host municipality, having filed suit against Foxborough in June 2026 over stadium licensing fees.

Go-to-market is event-driven and asset-anchored: KSE leverages its owned sports properties, stadium venue, and brand affiliations to attract fans, sponsors, and event-goers through owned digital channels (Patriots.com, RevolutionSoccer.net, GilletteStadium.com), social media, and direct enterprise sponsorship sales. The customer base is split between consumer (NFL fans, MLS fans, concert attendees) and business (corporate sponsors, host committees), with pricing handled through quote-based negotiations for sponsorship packages and standard ticketing for live events.

Name

Kraft Sports + Entertainment

Legal name

Kraft Sports and Entertainment LLC

Website

https://kraftse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kraft Sports + Entertainment, a Kraft Group division, operates the New England Patriots (NFL), New England Revolution (MLS), and Gillette Stadium, delivering marketing, sales, content development, and event operations for these New England sports and entertainment properties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Franchise Operations & Venue Management

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (71121)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Franchise Ownership Groups & Multi-Club Organizations (Multi-team owners, holding companies) (MPAKABAJ), Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE), Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO), Concession & Stadium / Arena Catering (THAFAIAG)

Keywords

• Professional sports operations
• Sports venue management
• Live event entertainment
• Corporate sponsorship sales
• Professional franchise management

Headquarters

HQ city

Mansfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticketing: Revenue from ticket sales for NFL games, MLS matches, concerts, and special events at Gillette Stadium.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship deals with brands including Sports Illustrated Tickets and other corporate partners for naming rights, advertising, and fan experience activations.
3. Venue Operations: Revenue from stadium operations including concessions, merchandise, parking, and hospitality services.
4. Media Rights: NFL and MLS broadcast media rights revenue associated with Patriots and Revolution games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kraft Sports + Entertainment operates and markets three core sports and entertainment assets on behalf of The Kraft Group: the New England Patriots NFL franchise, the New England Revolution MLS franchise, and Gillette Stadium, a privately-financed multi-purpose venue. The division oversees marketing, sales, content development, and event operations, monetizing these assets through ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, venue concessions, merchandise, parking, and broadcast media rights. It also hosts major concerts and international sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup.

Product overview

Kraft Sports + Entertainment is a sports entertainment company that operates as a division of The Kraft Group. The company manages a portfolio of three core assets: the New England Patriots (NFL team), the New England Revolution (MLS soccer team), and Gillette Stadium (privately-financed sports and entertainment venue). The company oversees marketing, sales, content development, and event operations for these entities, delivering world-class concerts and sporting events to New England for over 20 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New England Patriots The New England Patriots are an NFL professional football franchise owned by the Kraft family since 1994. The team has won more NFL games, Division titles, Conference crowns, and Super Bowl championships than any other team over the past 20 years, making it one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. The Patriots represent the core NFL content asset of Kraft Sports + Entertainment, monetized through ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships, and media rights.
• New England Revolution The New England Revolution is a Major League Soccer professional soccer franchise established in 1996 as one of MLS's 10 charter clubs. The Kraft family was an original MLS founder. The club has advanced to the MLS Cup five times in the league's first 20 years, representing one of the most successful MLS franchises and the core soccer content asset of Kraft Sports + Entertainment.
• Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is the privately-financed home venue of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution, and one of the world's top grossing concert venues according to Billboard. It hosts NFL games, MLS matches, concerts, and major international sporting events including seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. The stadium serves as the operational venue for ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, parking, hospitality, and corporate sponsorship activations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Second-most valuable NFL franchise according to Forbes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Boston Soccer 2026coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026Boston Soccer 2026 is the host committee organizing seven FIFA World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium (rebranded as Boston Stadium). Kraft Sports and Entertainment provided advance funding and guarantees for $7.8 million in security costs, ensuring the town of Foxborough would not incur costs. The partnership enables World Cup hosting including knockout stage games from June 13 to July 9, 2026.
• Sports Illustrated TicketscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Sports Illustrated Tickets is the official fan experience sponsor of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, and New England Revolution. The partnership has expanded through the NFL's Global Markets Program to include Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with activations including FIFA World Cup watch parties and IFAF Flag Football World Championships. The multiyear deal supports the Patriots' 2026 Legends Tour.
• New England PatriotscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKraft Sports + Entertainment oversees marketing, sales, content development, and event operations for the New England Patriots. The Patriots, purchased by the Kraft family in 1994, are the second-most valuable NFL franchise and have won more NFL games, Division titles, Conference crowns, and Super Bowl championships than any other team over the past 20 years.
• New England RevolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKraft Sports + Entertainment oversees marketing, sales, content development, and event operations for the New England Revolution. The Kraft family was an original founder of MLS in 1996, and the Revolution has advanced to the MLS Cup five times in the league's first 20 years.
• The Kraft GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKraft Sports + Entertainment is a division of The Kraft Group, which encompasses multiple business interests including the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, and other ventures. Led by Robert and Jonathan Kraft, The Kraft Group provides corporate backing and strategic direction.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dallas Cowboys (Jerry Jones): Privately-held NFL franchise with in-house ownership of AT&T Stadium and global brand operations. Most valuable NFL franchise per Forbes; relevant benchmark for franchise valuation, sponsorship leverage, and self-financed stadium economics.
• Comcast Spectacor: Operates the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), and global venue/event assets including Spectra. Multi-club ownership model with venue and event-management arms is directly comparable to KSE.
• Monumental Sports & Entertainment: Controls the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics, and Capital One Arena. Multi-team + venue operator in a single market—same vertical-integration logic as KSE across its teams and Gillette.
• Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. Owns the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL), co-tenants of Madison Square Garden. Publicly-traded comparable for valuation methodology on team-and-arena owner-operators.
• Manchester United (Glazer ownership): Privately-held (under Glazers) global sports franchise with stadium-centric revenue model. Comparable franchise-ownership structure and matchday/IP-driven revenue mix, especially relevant as KSE expands NFL Global Markets into Europe.
• Kroenke Sports & Entertainment: Operates a multi-club, multi-venue portfolio including the LA Rams (NFL), Arsenal (EPL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), and SoFi Stadium-grade venues. The closest structural peer to KSE's NFL + MLS + stadium model, with similar cross-league, cross-sport revenue diversification.
• Fenway Sports Group: Owns the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, and other sports assets. Regional New England overlap with KSE plus a comparable multi-club, multi-continent strategy and the same privately-financed stadium playbook.
• Atlanta Falcons / Arthur Blank parent: Blank Sports Group operates the Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United (MLS) out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium—structurally analogous to operating NFL + MLS + stadium under one umbrella.

Broad incumbents

• Green Bay Packers (community-owned): Comparable NFL franchise with stadium ownership (Lambeau Field). Useful franchise-level benchmark for NFL ticket, sponsorship, and merchandise economics even though ownership and scale differ.

Emerging players

• SoFi Stadium (Hollywood Park): Privately-financed venue operator anchoring multi-sport and event programming for the LA Rams and Chargers. Closest venue-only comparison to Gillette in terms of premium experience, concert programming, and event-hosting economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/patriots
• Facebookfacebook.com/newenglandpatriots
• Instagraminstagram.com/patriots
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kraft-sports-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kraft Sports + Entertainment