Why 16-Time Champion Joey Chestnut Has Been Banned From the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

Chestnut’s sponsorship deal with a ‘rival brand’ will put an end to his winning streak.

There are a handful of athletes who have undeniably dominated their individual sports. Golfer Tiger Woods won 15 major tournaments and a staggering 82 PGA Tour events. Tennis player Serena Williams is the only player in history to have won a career “Golden Slam” in both singles and doubles. And competitive eater Joey Chestnut has chewed and digested his way through 16 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contests, including a winning streak that stretches back to 2016.

But this July 4, a new champion will be handed the Mustard Belt — because Chestnut has been banned from entering this year’s competition. The reason? He’s agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods and their plant-based hot dogs.

Related: What Makes the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest So Special? We Asked the World's Top Eaters

“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Major League Eating (MLE), the event’s governing body, said in a statement.

“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day. For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship,” MLE continued. (According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “unbranded hot dog eating contest” will be broadcast on Netflix.)

In a statement posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Chestnut wrote that he was “gutted” when he learned he would be banned from the 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,” he wrote. “To my fans, I love you and appreciate you. Rest assured that you’ll see me eat again soon!! STAY HUNGRY!”

Related: We Tested Every Major Hot Dog Brand — These Are Our Favorites

Chestnut first entered the contest in 2005 and took third place with 32 hot dogs, following fellow hot dog-downing legends Takeru Kobayashi and Sonya Thomas. He won for the first time in 2007, beating Kobayashi and setting a then-record of 66 hot dogs. That started an eight-year winning streak that ended in 2015, when Matt Stonie out-ate him by two dogs.

Chestnut was back on top in 2016, and has won the contest every year since. He’s also continued to break his own records; the current high mark for hot dog eating is 76 dogs in 10 minutes, a record Chestnut set in 2021.

MLE has said that Chestnut is not permanently banned from the contest, and that he’ll be allowed to re-enter if he ends his relationship with “rival brand” Impossible Foods. In Chestnut’s absence, the oddsmakers have declared Geoffrey Esper to be this year’s favorite. He finished in second place last year, eating 49 dogs to Chestnut’s 62. 

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