LOS ANGELES (AP) – After organisers for Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest said Joey Chestnut wouldn’t compete this year because of a deal with a rival brand, Netflix swiftly announced a new hot dog-eating competition that will feature Chestnut and his “fiercest rival”.
Chestnut, a 16-time hot dog-eating champion, will face off with his frequent Nathan’s competitor, Takeru Kobayashi, in a live Netflix special on September 2, the streamer announced last Wednesday.
The contest, titled Chestnut vs Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, will feature the two chowing down on all-beef hot dogs, likely in a nod to reports that Chestnut’s rival brand deal is with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs.
Major League Eating, the organisation that oversees the Nathan’s contest, announced that Chestnut’s deal was an “exclusivity” issue, saying that it was his decision to step back from the competition he has participated in since 2005. “We love him. The fans love him,” said George Shea, a Major League Eating event organiser, adding: “He made the choice.”
Chestnut disputed that he made the choice, saying on the social platform X that Nathan’s and Major League Eating made the decision, adding that it would “deprive fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment”. He also wrote that fans could “rest assured” that they would see him east again soon, adding: “STAY HUNGRY!”
Impossible Foods has not confirmed a formal relationship with Chestnut, but he said in a statement they support his choice to compete in any competition, adding that “meat eaters shouldn’t have to be exclusive to just one wiener”. Following Netflix’s announcement, Shea said the streamer was “trying to recreate the Nathan’s contest to some extent and you just can’t do that”. “Imitation is the best form of flattery,” he added.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the conversation via X on Wednesday, urging Nathan’s and Major League Eating to “stop being such weenies”.
“It would be ‘impossible’ to have this year’s Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest without Joey Chestnut,” he wrote.
