LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — After the organizers of the July 4th hot dog eating contest Nathan’s Famous announced that Joey Chestnut would not be participating this year due to signing a deal with a rival brand, Netflix quickly announced a new hot dog eating competition between Chestnut and his “fiercest rival.”
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Chestnut, 16-time champion of the competition, will face off against Takeru Kobayashi, his frequent rival at Nathan's, in a live special on September 2nd, the streaming service announced on Wednesday.
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In the competition, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef”, the competitors will eat hot dogs with beef sausages, a possible nod to reports that the rival brand Chestnut signed with is Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs.
Why was Chestnut banned from the 4th of July event?
Major League Eating, the organization that oversees the Nathan's contest, announced on Tuesday that the Chestnut agreement was a matter of "exclusivity," adding that it was their decision to withdraw from the contest in which he has participated since 2005. "We love him. The fans love him," said George Shea, an event organizer for Major League Eating. "He made the decision."
Chestnut denied having made the decision. He posted on the social network X that it was Nathan's and Major League Eating's decision, adding that this would "deprive fans of the usual joy and entertainment of the holiday." He also wrote that fans can "rest assured" that they would see him eating again soon. "Stay hungry!" he indicated in a capitalized message.
Impossible Foods has not confirmed having a formal relationship with Chestnut, but he said in a statement on Tuesday that they support his decision to participate in any competition. "Meat eaters shouldn't have to be exclusive to just one sausage," he pointed out.
After Netflix's announcement, Shea pointed out that the streaming service "was trying to recreate the Nathan's contest to some extent, and you just can't do that. Imitation is the best flattery," he added.
Chestnut and Kobayashi have not faced each other since 2009.
In the press release from Netflix announcing the competition, Chestnut stated that he was eager to bring the event to the streaming service.
"Throughout all my years in food competitions, Kobayashi has been my fiercest rival. Competing against him forced me to be much better. I know fans have waited a long time for a new chapter in our rivalry, and I am eager for the date of our live competition on Netflix to arrive! It's time to give the people what they want!" said Chestnut.
Kobayashi, who is rumored to be retired, noted in the statement that he is eager to compete against Chestnut again. They have not faced each other since 2009.
“I will only be able to retire after defeating him one last time,” Kobayashi said. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans from all over the world will be able to see how I defeat him.”
The hot dog eating competition is the streaming service's latest attempt to expand into live television, highlighting the company's emphasis on sports events, including NFL games on Christmas this year and the WWE's "Raw" series in 2025.