A day after Joey Chestnut confirmed that he had been “swallowed”. not to compete at this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, he announced that he will be facing off in a first-of-its-kind contest airing exclusively on Netflix this fall.
In a Sept. 2 debut, Chestnut will face former rival Takeru Kobayashi in a cheeky special title, “Unfinished Beef.” The pair have been fighting for 15 years.
“Throughout my years in competitive nutrition, Kobayashi stands out as my toughest rival,” Chestnut said. in a release for Netflix. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know the fans have been waiting a long time for another chapter in our rivalry and I can't wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It's time to give the people what they want !”
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The two men have not faced each other since 2009, when Chestnut emerged victorious over his rival in a five-dog “sudden death”.
Chestnut has 16 hot dog eating championships and Kobayashi has six.
Kobayashi was notoriously forbidden from Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2010 due to a contract dispute, after winning the famous contest six years in a row from 2001 to 2006.
In 2007, however, Chestnut took the title by beating him with just three hot dogs and a bun.
“This rivalry has been brewing for a long time,” Kobayashi said. “Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
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The news comes just one day after Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest producer Major League Eating announced that Chestnut would not be allowed to compete on July 4 due to a contract he signed with vegan competitor Impossible Foods for a reported $1.4 million during four years.
“To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from last years as it relates to other partners I may work with,” Chestnut told fans on X in response of Wednesday's news. .
(2/3) To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from last years as they relate to other partners I may work with. This is apparently the basis on which I am banned and it does not affect the 4th of July event.
— Joey Chestnut (@joeyjaws) June 11, 2024
The new Netflix special will be the company's latest push into the world of live sports.
Last month, the company discovered that would have broadcast rights for the first time to two NFL games to be played on Christmas Day 2024 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans.
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In July, Netflix too have the exclusivity Broadcast rights to the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which will be at no additional charge to existing subscribers.
“We think it's going to be a real value-add to see those things in real time,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. Q1 2024 earnings call in April. “And we're going to keep trying a lot of new things.”
The location for the hot dog eating extravaganza has yet to be announced.