Competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut has been barred from the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest due to exclusivity issues with brand partnerships. However, fans will be excited to find that they can still watch the world champion in an alternative sausage-centric face-off thanks to a live-streamed Netflix special pitting him against his fiercest adversary: Takeru Kobayashi.
California’s Chestnut holds the record for most hot dogs consumed, achieved by devouring an impressive 76 hot dogs (with buns) in just 10 minutes in 2021. This is merely one of his 55 world records in competitive eating. Kobayashi, on the other hand, has set 10 world records in the sport.
The special event, dubbed “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” will be available for streaming on Labor Day, September 2, 2024, at a location yet to be revealed. The aim of the show is to resolve a long-standing culinary rivalry between the two; indeed, Chestnut referred to Kobayashi as his “toughest foe” in a Netflix press release.
Chestnut and Kobayashi to compete against each other for the first time in 15 years, creating an exhilarating contest.
Takeru Kobayashi was crowned the champion of the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest every year from 2001 to 2006 — until Joey Chestnut captured the title in 2007. Since then, Chestnut has triumphed in 16 of the 17 years he’s participated. However, the two have not faced off since 2009 when Chestnut emerged victorious.
In May 2024, Kobayashi announced his retirement from competitive eating in the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut,” expressing health concerns — a scenario not surprising for someone who has consumed approximately 10,000 hot dogs in the line of duty. Still, he seems eager for one last showdown. “I won’t retire until I take [Chestnut] down one final time,” Kobayashi told Netflix, adding that the live event allows “fans across the globe to witness my knockout of him.”
Chestnut, in turn, sees the Japanese competitive eater Kobayashi not only as a rival but also as a source of inspiration: “Competing against him pushed me to improve immensely,” he stated to the streaming service.
Now, 15 years after their previous encounter, the two will finally resolve their unfinished rivalry as they consume as many all-beef hot dogs as possible on Labor Day — the unofficial conclusion of hot dog season.