A highly unusual event is going to be streamed on Netflix later this year, in Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.
This show, streaming on September 2, will see two giants of the hot dog eating world go head-to-head: Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.
Both have previously claimed victory in the annual Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest, but this is the first time in 15 years they’ll actually compete directly.
Chestnut has won the Nathan’s contest for the last fistful of years, from 2016 to 2023’s event. He also won from 2007 to 2014, while 2015 was won by eating YouTuber Matt Stone.
However, Chestnut has actually been banned from this year’s event, on July 4, because of a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods. Nathan’s is, of course, an actual hot dog brand, while Major League Eating oversees the event.
Kobayashi won in earlier years, from 2001 to 2006.
In the dog house...
This Netflix event was announced the day after a statement made by Chestnut on his banning from the hotdog-eating contest.
“I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years Im banned from the Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest. I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title,” Chesnut said on X.
This Netflix event has all the hallmarks of a hastily-done deal to capitalise on the beef. “The location and timing will be announced at a later date,” says Netflix.
It sounds like its could be fun, though. In the 2023 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest, Joey Chestnut ate 62 hotdogs, just one less than the figure the previous year. His record in 76, from 2021.
Kobayashi’s best performance was in 2006, with 53 and three quarters of a hot dog. And all of those go down in 10-12 minutes. Netflix's will have to pad this one out to the full hour, but a few pre-game interviews and commentary will no doubt go down a treat.
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