![Joey Chestnut wins Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest](https://www.sportico.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1241703464-e1718130156558.jpg?w=1280&h=720&crop=1)
Joey Chestnut, the 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, will not participate in the 2024 event after signing with a rival brand, according to the New York Post.
Chestnut, who has won the last eight men’s titles at the annual July 4 event, signed a deal with Impossible Foods, the Post reported. The company produces plant-based alternatives and is a competitor of Nathan’s, having recently launched a hot dog.
A spokesperson for Major League Eating (MLE), sanctioned by Nathan’s to run the contest, told the Post: “For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship.”
Chestnut responded to his ouster on X, saying he was “gutted to learn from the media” about the ban. “To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with. … Sadly, this is the decision Nathan’s and Major League Eating are making. …”
A spokesperson for Impossible Foods said: “We love Joey and support him in any contest he chooses. It’s OK to experiment with a new dog. Meat eaters shouldn’t have to be exclusive to just one wiener.”
MLE has Chestnut prominently featured across its website and calls him “the greatest eater in history,” on his bio page. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), MLE said it is open to Chestnut returning “when he not representing a rival brand.” MLE didn’t immediately respond to Sportico’s request for comment.
Chestnut, who is MLE’s No. 1 ranked eater, consumed 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes during last year’s competition, and he holds the record for the most hot dogs eaten at the competition with 76, set in 2021.
(This story has been updated with more from MLE’s statement and its relationship with Chestnut, and quotes from Chestnut’s response on X and a statement from Impossible Foods.)