Competitive hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut and Netflix are shaking up the competitive food industry.
The New York Post reports that Chestnut, a 16-time winner of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Fourth of July contest, was fired from this year’s competition after he signed a new partnership with Impossible Foods to promote its new vegan hot dog.
“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand selling plant-based hot dogs rather than compete in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” said Major League Eating, which organizes the Nathan’s event. in a sentence.
An MLE representative also revealed another interesting aspect of the controversy: The organization had allowed Chestnut to participate in “a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day” that will be filmed by Netflix, according to the Mail. In the end, it was the deal with Impossible that got him kicked out of Nathan’s event.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that this hot dog eating contest will air on Netflix, although a release date has not yet been announced.
This news comes as a surprise considering Chestnut had created an exclusive partnership with Nathan’s and was even offered a four-year contract worth $1.2 million.
It’s even more shocking that Netflix is planning to break into the competitive food market. As THR As it notes in its report, ESPN has exclusive rights to Nathan’s event through 2029, meaning the streamer is breaking new ground by creating its own Labor Day event.
Jugo Mobile reached out to Netflix for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
For now, MLE stated that it would gladly welcome Chestnut whenever it ends its partnership with the “rival brand,” according to the Mail.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him in the famous Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years,” the organization said, adding, “We look forward to having him return when he is not representing a rival brand.”
