Nothing says America like gluttony. Fireworks, patriotism, and copious, disgusting amounts of hot dogs: The 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is upon us, and the question once again is: Who will unseat Joseph Christian Chestnut?
Chestnut, the GOAT with the giant gourd, has now won seven Mustard Belts in a row and 15 of his last 16 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests overall. Nothing short of a jaw cramp or some acid reflux will stop Chestnut from donning another hot dog crown.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo has been in the driver’s seat for quite some time. Since Sudo upended “The Black Widow,” Sonya Thomas, in 2014, she has been the best competitive eater on the stage at Coney Island. No ifs, ands, or buns about it. (Well, maybe some buns.)
Red, white, and blue-in-the-face from eating all those stinkin’ hot dogs. Here’s how to watch the iconic event at the corner of Surf and Stillwell:
The 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest gets underway at 10:45 a.m. ET with the women’s portion of the event. The men’s event will follow at 2 p.m. ET.
Broadcast coverage of the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is carried exclusively by the ESPN family of networks. ESPN has the broadcast rights through 2029. The women’s competition gets underway at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3, the digital network. The men’s competition follows on ESPN2 at noon ET. ESPN and ESPNews will show replays of the broadcast later in the day.
For those who want to live stream the event, there are a few options. ESPN+ will carry live coverage of the event and even have dedicated cameras of men’s champ Joey Chestnut and women’s champ Miki Sudo. For those who want to watch the live broadcast, Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, so you’ll be able to watch the live and re-aired broadcasts throughout the day. Fubo also offers a free trial.
Unsurprisingly, Joey Chestnut remains the favorite to guzzle the most hot dogs on July 4. Here’s how the odds stack up (via BetMGM):
Joey Chestnut -5000
Geoffrey Esper +1200
Nick Wehry +2000
James Webb +2500
The field +3000
Barley Weaver IV +4000
Gideon Oji +5000
Ren Zoza +5000
Darrien Thomas +6600
Adrian Morgan +6600
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo could once again hoist the Mustard Belt. Her only true competition is 2021 champion Michelle Lesco. (Sudo skipped the event that year because she was pregnant.)
Miki Sudo -5000
Michelle Lesco +1600
The field +2500
Call it the Joey Chestnut Invitational: “Jaws” has become synonymous with the hot dog eating contest, with his stomach and gullet on an incredible streak of dominance. Chestnut has won the men’s portion of the tournament 15 times since 2007, with Matt Stonie pulling off the epic upset in 2015.
Miki Sudo has become the one to beat on the women’s side. She has won the competition every year in which she has competed. She downed 40 dogs in 2022.
The list of winners since 2000:
2022 men: Joey Chestnut, 63 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2022 women: Miki Sudo, 40 hot dogs
2021 men: Joey Chestnut, 76 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2021 women: Michelle Lesco, 30.75 hot dogs
2020 men: Joey Chestnut, 75 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2020 women: Miki Sudo, 48.5 hot dogs
2019 men: Joey Chestnut, 71 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2019 women: Miki Sudo, 31 hot dogs
2018 men: Joey Chestnut, 74 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2018 women: Miki Sudo, 37 hot dogs
2017 men: Joey Chestnut, 72 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2017 women: Miki Sudo, 41 hot dogs
2016 men: Joey Chestnut, 70 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2016 women: Miki Sudo, 38.5 hot dogs
2015 men: Matt Stonie, 62 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2015 women: Miki Sudo, 38 hot dogs
2014 men: Joey Chestnut, 61 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2014 women: Miki Sudo, 34 hot dogs
2013 men: Joey Chestnut, 69 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2013 women: Sonya Thomas, 36.75 hot dogs
2012 men: Joey Chestnut, 68 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2012 women: Sonya Thomas, 45 hot dogs
2011 men: Joey Chestnut, 62 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2011 women: Sonya Thomas, 40 hot dogs
2010: Joey Chestnut, 54 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2009: Joey Chestnut, 68 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2008: Joey Chestnut, 59 hot dogs in 10 mins.
2007: Joey Chestnut, 66 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2006: Takeru Kobayashi, 53.75 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2005: Takeru Kobayashi, 49 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2004: Takeru Kobayashi, 53.5 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2003: Takeru Kobayashi, 44.5 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2002: Takeru Kobayashi, 50.5 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2001: Takeru Kobayashi, 50 hot dogs in 12 mins.
2000: Kazutoyo Arai, 25 hot dogs in 12 mins.
Joey Chestnut set the hot dog eating record on a grand stage in 2021, downing 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the corner of Surf and Stillwell. Up and down the competitive eating record book, you’ll find Chestnut’s name. Here are the top six hot dog eating totals:
2021: Joey Chestnut, 76 hot dogs
2020: Joey Chestnut, 75 hot dogs
2018: Joey Chestnut, 74 hot dogs
2016: Joey Chestnut, 73* hot dogs
2017: Joey Chestnut, 72 hot dogs
2019: Joey Chestnut, 71* hot dogs
*Chestnut’s 2016 record was set at the Giant National Capital BBQ Battle nine days before the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Miki Sudo holds the women’s record for most hot dogs eaten, with 48 1/2 consumed in her championship-winning performance at the 2020 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest. Sudo and Sonya Thomas comprise the top five:
2020: Miki Sudo, 48.5 hot dogs
2012: Sonya Thomas, 45 hot dogs
2017: Miki Sudo, 41 hot dogs
2009: Sonya Thomas, 41 hot dogs
2011: Sonya Thomas, 40 hot dogs
There’s nothing more American on the Fourth of July than watching grown men and women eat as many hot dogs as they can, buns and all, in 10 minutes. Yes, it’s time for another Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
This event, on Coney Island, is easily Major League Eating’s (yes, it’s a thing) largest, but it far predates Major League Eating. The contest has only been sanctioned by MLE since 1997, and this will be the 102nd iteration of it. There are 20 male and 20 female contestants, including the defending champ, Joey Chestnut, the winners of regional qualifiers, individual qualifiers, and special invitees.
Chestnut is the current two-time defending champion, and he’s won 10 of the past 11 titles. He’ll try to hold off Matt Stonie, who handed Chestnut the one defeat in the middle of his dominant run back in 2015 by downing 62 hot dogs. Chestnut has only gotten better year after year. He holds the record with 73.5 hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes in a 2016 qualifier. Last year, he nearly equaled that mark with 72 dogs.
On the women’s side, participants will look to dethrone Miki Sudo, who took the crown from “The Black Widow” Sonya Thomas in 2014 and has worn it ever since. Sudo is a four-time winner herself, and last year she broke 40 hot dogs for the first time at the event, eating 41. The record still belongs to Thomas, who ate 45.
Each side gets $20,000 split among the top five finishers. The tiers go:
First place: $10,000
Second place: $5,000
Third place: $2,500
Fourth place: $1,500
Fifth place: $1,000
There are parts of this contest that people don’t fully understand. For starters, while a hot dog and its bun have to be eaten, they don’t have to be eaten together. Buns can be dunked in liquid (“dunking”) to soften them up, but not long enough that the bread can dissolve. Contestants can also nibble bites as time expires (“chipmunking”) and have the nibbles be counted.
Eaters can be penalized for making a mess, not because manners matter, but because when you’re making a mess you aren’t eating all of your food. Naturally, if you vomit you’re disqualified. Believe it or not, you can also use condiments, but for obvious reasons they aren’t used often.
Tiebreakers come down to a five-hot dog showdown, with a one-hot dog sudden death.
The 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will be held on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island, New York. The women’s competition will start at 10:45 a.m. ET and the men’s competition will follow at 12 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
The competition will be fierce, as the top competitors will be vying for the title of “Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Champion.” The contestants will eat Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, which are 1.5 ounces each. The competitors will have 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible.
The 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest will be a spectacle. The crowd will be cheering on their favorite competitors, and the competitors will be giving it their all. The event is a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July, and it is sure to be a memorable event.
Source: ESPN, BetMGM, Major League Eating
