Nathan's International 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest contestant Joey Chestnut stands next to Nathan's mascot Frankster, before the official weigh-in in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US, July 2, 2021.
Angus Mordaunt | Reuters
Nathan's popular 4th of July hot dog eating contest will drop one dog this year.
The Major League Eating announced Tuesday that it is parting ways with 16-time champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut ahead of this year's competition, which was hosted by The famous Nathan.
Chestnut was previously offered a four-year, $1.2 million contract with MLE to participate in the hot dog competition, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The decision to end the relationship comes after Chestnut chose to represent a competing brand that sells plant-based sausages, the organization told CNBC in a statement. The New York Post reported that the brand is Impossible Foods, though the company did not immediately provide a comment.
An account on CNBC has not independently verified the account.
The post also said: “To be clear, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from years past in terms of what other partners I can work with. This appears to be the basis on which I have been banned from, and this will not affect my “July 4th event.”
Impossible Foods offers plant-based sausages, which the company claims are healthier and more environmentally friendly than the traditional meat version, with half the saturated fat of the animal version and generating 84% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
For nearly two decades, the contestants, including Chestnut, have operated under the same “hot dog exclusivity provisions,” MLE said in a statement.
“Joey is a great hero and friend, and he is beloved at Coney Island and around the world. So I hope he will be there on the Fourth of July as we celebrate Independence Day and that he will change his choice to promote a vegan hot dog instead of our own.” Major League eating chief Richard Shea told CNBC.
MLE said it worked with Nathan's to accommodate Chestnut's requests, including allowing him to compete in a competitive, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day to be broadcast on an unnamed major platform.
Joey Chestnut holds the Guinness World Record for eating the most hot dogs in 10 minutes, a title he won at the annual hot dog eating contest in 2021.
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York, is a Fourth of July tradition and is broadcast nationally on ESPN. It's also a marketing strategy for Nathan's Famous, whose signature offering, hot dogs, is in decline.
Especially with the rise of healthy eating habits and the increasing importance of the health trend to consumers, the American hot dog is one of many processed foods whose sales have taken a hit.
