Netflix Takes Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Tradition to Las Vegas

In the wake of the controversial ban on reigning hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut to compete in this year’s Fourth of July competition, Netflix invited Chestnut and his long-time rival Takeru Kobayashi to “dog” it out in Vegas while live-streaming the event.

In a disappointing turn of events for Chestnut and his fans, Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest disallowed Chestnut from the 2024 iteration of the match, which held its first such happening way back in 1916. Officials from Major League Eating, the organization which produces the wildly popular hot dog munch-fest, said Chestnut was disqualified because he was representing a different hot dog brand. Despite fans starting a petition to allow Chestnut to compete, in the end he was not allowed.

Since 2016 Chestnut has dominated the contest, winning for seven years in a row, with a personal best, devouring 73 hot dogs in 10 minutes. But before there was Chestnut, there was Kobayashi, winning the hot dog crown every year from 2001 to 2006, until Chestnut de-dogged him in 2007. Since then, these two professional eaters have been the ones to beat.

As it happens, Kobayashi was also disqualified from competing in the 2024 Fourth of July competition, stemming from a contract dispute back in 2010. The scene was set for Netflix to swoop in and invite the two wiener-eating champions to compete against each other in an exciting, live-streamed, Las Vegas-style, scarfing escapade.

The Labor Day event met all the expectations of the sponsors and fans alike. The outcome of “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” at the HyperX Arena, saw Chestnut fly past his previous record of 73 dogs with an astounding and unbeatable 83 franks in just ten minutes. Kobayashi, despite his best efforts, was only able to ingest about 75% of that amount, swallowing a disappointing 66 dogs.

Chestnut attributed his remarkable achievement to the lively competition he is in with Kobayashi.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been trying to hit 80 hotdogs for years and without Koybayashi I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” Chestnut said. “He drives me. We weren’t always nice to each other but we push each other to be our best.”