One day after Joey Chestnut confirmed he was “gutted” to not compete at this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, he announced that he’ll face off in a first-of-its-kind competition streamed exclusively on Netflix this fall.
In a September 2 debut, Chestnut will take on former rival Takeru Kobayashi in a special cheekily titled, “Unfinished Beef.” The duo has been battling for 15 years.
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” Chestnut said in a release for Netflix. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of 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 haven’t faced off against each other since 2009 when Chestnut emerged victorious over his rival in a five-dog “sudden death” eat-off.
Chestnut has 16 champion hot dog-eating titles and Kobayashi has six.
Kobayashi was infamously banned from Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2010 due to a contract dispute, having won the famed competition six years in a row, from 2001 through 2006.
In 2007, however, Chestnut took the title by beating him by only three hot dogs and buns.
“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.”
Related: Joey Chestnut Reacts to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Ban: ‘Gutted’
The news comes just one day after Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest’s producer, Major League Eating, announced that Chestnut would not be permitted to compete on July 4 due to a contract he signed with vegan competitor Impossible Foods for a reported $1.4 million over 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 past years as it relates to other partners I can work with,” Chestnut told fans on X in response to 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 past years as it relates to other partners I can work with.This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th event.
— Joey Chestnut (@joeyjaws) June 11, 2024
The new Netflix special will be the company’s latest push into the live sporting world.
Last month, the company revealed that it would have streaming rights for the first time to two NFL games set to be played on Christmas Day 2024 — the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans.
In July, Netflix will also have the exclusive streaming rights to the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which will have no additional fee for existing subscribers.
“We think it’s going to be a real value add to watch those things in real time,” Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a Q1 2024 earnings call in April. “And we’re going to continue to try a lot of new things.”
A location for the hot dog-eating extravaganza has not yet been publicized.
