LOS ANGELES – After organizers of Nathan’s famous July 4th hot dog eating contest said Joey Castanha wasn’t going to compete this year because of a deal with a rival brand, Netflix quickly announced a new hot dog eating competition that will feature Chestnut and his “fiercest rival.”
16-time hot dog eating champion Chestnut will face frequent competitor Nathan’s Takeru Kobayashiin a Netflix live special on September 2, the streamer announced on Wednesday.
The contest, titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” will feature the two eating all-beef hot dogs, likely in a nod to reports that Chestnut’s rival brand’s deal is with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs. .
Major League Eating, the organization that oversees Nathan’s competition, announced Tuesday that Chestnut’s deal was a matter of “exclusivity,” saying it was his decision to step away from the competition he has participated in since 2005. “We love him. The fans love him,” said Major League Eating event organizer George Shea, 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 usual holiday joy and entertainment.”
He also wrote that fans could “rest assured” they would see him in the East again soon, adding, “STAY HUNGRY!”
Impossible Foods has not confirmed a formal relationship with Chestnut, but said in a statement Tuesday that it supports its choice to compete in any competition, adding that “meat eaters shouldn’t be exclusive to just one sausage.”
Following Netflix’s announcement, Shea said the streamer was “trying to recreate Nathan’s contest to some extent and you just can’t do that.”
“Imitation is the best form of flattery,” he added.
In a Netflix press release announcing the competition, Chestnut said he was looking forward to bringing the competition to the streaming service.
“Throughout all my years of competitive eating, Kobayashi has stood out as my fiercest rival,” Chestnut said via release. “Competing against him pushed me to be much better. I know fans have waited a long time for another chapter in our rivalry and I can’t wait for our big showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!”
Kobayashi, who is rumored to be retired, said at the Netflix release that he is looking forward to facing Chestnut once again. The two have not competed since 2009.
“For me, retirement will only happen after I take him down for the last time,” Kobayashi said. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans around the world can watch me knock him out.”
The hot dog eating competition is the streamer’s latest effort to expand into live TV and highlights the company’s emphasis on sporting events, which will include NFL Games on Christmas Day starting this year and WWE “Raw” in 2025.
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