CONEY ISLAND, NY – For the first time since 2005, reigning champion Joey Chestnut will not compete at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, marking a dramatic fracture in one of America’s most peculiar sporting traditions.

• The Champion’s Ban – Joey Chestnut, who has won the men’s event 16 times, was declared ineligible to compete after a contract dispute with Major League Eating (MLE), the event’s organizing body.
• A Clash of Brands – The dispute centers on Chestnut’s recent partnership with Impossible Foods, a company that produces plant-based hot dogs and is considered a direct competitor to Nathan’s Famous.
• A Rival Contest Emerges – In response to the ban, Chestnut has signed a deal with Netflix to compete in a new hot dog eating contest, signaling a major shift in the competitive eating landscape.

The annual spectacle on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues has long been a fixture of Independence Day, but the absence of its most dominant figure raises questions that go beyond the competition itself, touching on the very nature of tradition, celebrity, and corporate loyalty.

From Boardwalk Stunt to National Spectacle: The Contest’s Rise

While legend traces the contest’s origins to a 1916 duel between four immigrants to prove their patriotism, historical records suggest the modern event began in the 1970s as a local promotion. For decades, it remained a quirky Coney Island affair. That changed in the early 2000s, when the event gained a national television broadcast on ESPN and a new level of legitimacy.

The contest transformed from a local curiosity into a piece of bona fide Americana. Families across the country made it a part of their Fourth of July ritual, watching as competitors downed an astonishing number of hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The event cemented the brand of Nathan’s Famous, whose parent company is Hormel Foods, as synonymous with the holiday. It became a powerful marketing tool built on the back of a simple, century-old tradition.

A Champion’s Reign and a Clash of Brands

No single figure has defined the contest more than Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. Since his first victory in 2007, he has become a folk hero of the sport, holding the world record of 76 hot dogs and buns. His consistent, seemingly superhuman performances turned him from a competitor into the undisputed king and face of the event.

The fracture appeared in June 2024, when Major League Eating announced Chestnut would not participate. According to an MLE statement, the decision was made after Chestnut chose to represent a rival brand. That brand was later revealed to be Impossible Foods, a producer of plant-based meat alternatives. MLE, which requires exclusivity from its top competitors for the Nathan’s brand, claimed that “it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship.”

Chestnut’s representatives countered, stating they were “gutted” by the decision and had worked to find a compromise that would allow him to participate. They argued that an athlete’s ability to pursue other sponsorships is a standard practice in professional sports. The dispute lays bare a fundamental conflict: Is the contest an event where the tradition and the sponsoring brand are paramount, or is it a platform for athletes who should be free to build their own brands?

The Future of the Fourth: A Tradition Divided

The fallout from the split has been swift. Nathan’s and Major League Eating are moving forward with the 2025 contest, intent on crowning a new champion and proving the event is bigger than one star. For many onlookers, a contest without Chestnut is hard to imagine.

Meanwhile, Chestnut has already secured a new, high-profile stage. Netflix announced it will stream a live hot dog eating competition on Labor Day, pitting Chestnut against his legendary rival, Takeru Kobayashi. The move creates a direct challenge to the Nathan’s contest’s cultural dominance and poses a critical question: Does the loyalty of the audience lie with the century-old tradition on Coney Island, or with the folk hero they have watched for nearly two decades? The result may determine the future of not just the contest, but how such uniquely American traditions navigate the modern world of corporate sponsorship and personal branding.