• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 6, 2025

Everything You Need to Know About the Schism Rocking Competitive Eating

  • Joey Chestnut is shaking up the competitive eating world.
  • The structure of competitive eating is fundamentally at odds with Chestnut’s business decisions.
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joey Chestnut’s break from hot-dog eating contests didn’t last long.

One day after Major League Eating banned Chestnut from the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest over his partnership with Impossible Foods, Netflix announced a head-to-head competition on Labor Day with the eater’s onetime biggest rival, Takeru Kobayashi. MLE is not involved in the contest whatsoever, but the league had previously told Chestnut it had no issue with him competing in an unbranded one-off. Its issue with Chestnut entirely rests on his Impossible deal.

This story is about hot dogs, but it’s really about business.

Brothers George and Richard Shea founded the “International Federation of Competitive Eating” in 1997 as a side hustle from their day jobs as high-powered public relations executives with clients across several major industries. Their brainchild, specifically the professional league, exploded in the public consciousness with the gut-busting feats of Chestnut and Kobayashi in the early 2000s, and both star eaters are now—supposedly—feuding with MLE. (Again, the Sheas are public relations executives, and MLE, Netflix, Chestnut, Impossible Foods, and Kobayashi all had polished statements and event plans ready to roll this week.)

The old beef with Kobayashi, and the new one with Chestnut, are both over exclusivity. Kobayashi refused to sign a deal with the league featuring an exclusivity clause that would allow MLE to have power over his contracts and sponsors, so he’s been out of the Nathan’s Fourth of July event since 2009. Chestnut’s situation is similar. MLE said in its official statement Tuesday that the Nathan’s competition has held the “same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions” for decades, and that the organization is “devastated” by Chestnut’s decision to break those rules. (Chestnut said that the federation is “looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with.”) While Chestnut has said he is banned, MLE has been insistent that he’s not banned, and functionally banned himself. The result is the same.

MLE cofounder George Shea tells Front Office Sports that MLE has been “trying to resolve this all along,” and everyone wants Chestnut, who he calls a “hero,” in the Nathan’s competition.

Competitive eating is not like other sports in which a central league finds sponsorships for tentpole events. Rather, competitions happen because brands such as Nathan’s call on MLE to run them, sponsor them, and bring in eaters. The Nathan’s contest existed before MLE did, with the Sheas coming up with the idea for the league after already having done promotional work for the Fourth of July contest. Nathan’s would never host an event where its biggest star is hawking a competitor; it seems likely that Chestnut would have understood that a deal with a rival brand would jeopardize his participation in the annual contest.

It’s hard to imagine this happening in any other sport. It’s like if Wilson sanctioned the NBA to run the Finals, but the most famous player made a deal with Spalding, dropped out and grabbed their biggest rival to make their own competition. But the chaos is a perfect storm for Netflix, whose live sports offerings have largely stuck to staged events. The streamer recently got the media rights to NFL Christmas games and WWE’s Raw, but most of its live sports offerings have been made-for-TV events created out of thin air, including The Netflix Cup, The Netflix Slam, and the upcoming bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also curious is Kobayashi is stepping out of retirement to take on Chestnut. He won six straight Nathan’s contests in the mid-2000s and announced his retirement from competitive eating in a Netflix documentary last month about gut health, saying,“I no longer feel hunger.”

“It’s all I have done for the last 20 years,” Kobayashi said about competitive eating in the documentary. “I am worried about what my next step will bring, but I’m also excited about my future. I have mixed feelings.”

His next step seems to be facing Chestnut, and receiving whatever large sum Netflix is offering him. “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi said of the event.

Chestnut, for his part, was paid $200,000 to eat in last year’s Nathan’s competition, and he turned down a four-year, $1.2 million deal to stay in the contest.

All of this is a blow to ESPN, who retains the rights for the Fourth of July tradition. The competition tends to draw more than one million viewers every year, but it could dramatically drop without its biggest celebrity.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) dribbles the ball against New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) during game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center.

A’ja Wilson’s Star Continues to Rise With Release of Nike Shoe

Shoe deals have picked up alongside growing popularity of the WNBA.
Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Super Bowl LIX signage at the Hyatt Hotel.

New Orleans Home Rentals Skyrocket Around Super Bowl

Short-term rental revenue has already reached $10.5 million.
Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley talks on set before game three of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Charles Barkley Will Deny NBC, Amazon Offers to Stick With Turner

Barkley has repeatedly flip-flopped in his career plans in recent years.
Feb 2, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; AFC wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars (7) carries the ball against NFC return specialist KaVontae Turpin of the Dallas Cowboys (9) during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium.

NFL Pro Bowl Ratings Drop Again Despite Flag Football Push

ABC, ESPN, and Disney XD drew 4.7 million viewers for Sunday’s simulcast.

Featured Today

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44), before a 2024 NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium.
February 1, 2025

The New WAGs: Sports Wives Building Business Empires

Athletes’ wives and girlfriends are bucking stereotypes and cashing in.
Feb 3, 2019; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion.
January 31, 2025

The Toll of Bicoastal Travel on New ACC Members Cal and Stanford

Cal and Stanford face missed flights, chaotic sleep schedules, and academic demands.
January 28, 2025

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.

State Farm Cancels Planned Super Bowl Ad Amid California Fires Controversy

State Farm’s Super Bowl ad last year featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
Apr 7, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka set up to putt on no. 9 during the first round of The Masters golf tournament.
November 27, 2024

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf TV ‘Showdown’ Will Pay Out $10M Crypto..

Two golfers from each tour will face off in Las Vegas.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
December 17, 2024

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Oct 29, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) reacts after hitting a RBI single against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium.
October 31, 2024

Strauss Ads on MLB Helmets Annoyed Some Fans. CEO Says They Were a ‘Huge Success’

Strauss’s deal with MLB goes until 2027.
August 26, 2024

Cooper Flagg Spurns Nike Ties for New Balance

Flagg is the projected top pick in 2025.
August 22, 2024

Marketing Stunt Had Major Cycling Race Start In Grocery Store

The Vuelta has a history of creative stage kickoffs.
August 19, 2024

Jake Paul Claims He’ll Make $40 Million Off Tyson Netflix Fight

Paul and Tyson are set to fight in Texas in November.