Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2023: How to watch Joey Chestnut carve hot dogs in Coney Island

NEW YORK — The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest is scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. Eastern Time after the New York Police Department initially canceled the men’s event due to lighting Tuesday afternoon.

After the NYPD canceled the contest out of caution, Nathan decided to go ahead with the contest once the storms passed.

Before the brutal delay, Miki Sudo defended her championship title by eating 39 and a half hot dogs.

The stage was cleared of attendees due to rain and lightning around 12:00 p.m.

The disruption to the beloved competition comes after Sudo thought she ate 37 hot dogs, but after a judge’s count it was revealed she went so fast some didn’t. were counted, bringing its total to 39 and a half.

She is the best women’s champion of all time, now with nine Nathan titles under her belt. Sudo, 37, of Port Richey, Fla., holds a world record for eating six hot dogs in one minute.

“39 is a small number, I’m sorry guys!” Sudo said. “I wouldn’t have left a partial hot dog on the table.”

Mayoi Ebihara came in second with 33½ hot dogs eaten. Michelle Lesco finished in third place with 24 hot dogs and a fourth eaten.

The men’s competition was scheduled to start at noon.

This is a last minute update. A previous version of this report is below.

Americans associate the annual Fourth of July holiday with many spectacular must-sees, including fireworks, pool parties, bonfires, county fairs and barbecues. Perhaps no patriotic activity is crazier than Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which has been providing eye-catching entertainment to the masses for decades. Get ready for this year’s festivities with some fun facts.

About 35,000 fans are expected to gather at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island to witness Nathan’s famous international 4th of July hot dog eating contest in person.

When will the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest take place? How can I watch?

Several events will take place on the 4th of July. The women’s competition will air on the ESPN app at 10:45 a.m. ET. The men’s competition will begin at noon ET on ESPN2 and will stream on the ESPN app.

Where does the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest take place?

The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest is usually held outside of Nathan’s original location in Coney Island, near Brooklyn, New York. In 2020, Nathan had to briefly break away from tradition and hold the contest at a private venue with no fans, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MORE: History of Nathan’s 4th of July hot dog eating contest

What year did the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest start?

Although there is an urban legend that the inaugural pageant was held in 1916, the first official, recorded 4th of July pageant was held in 1972 at Coney Island.

What are the contest rules?

Major League Eating (MLE) has run the event since 1997. Currently, participants must be under contract with MLE to participate. In addition to past champions and special MLE guests, aspiring eaters can qualify for the event in other preliminary contests.

During the event, participants must eat as many Nathan’s Famous hot dogs in buns as they can in 10 minutes. Each contestant gets their own marker that tracks the number of hot dogs consumed during the contest window.

Some other rules are taken into account:

• Water and other beverages are permitted and help encourage the fast pace of activities.
• Condiments are allowed, but competitors usually pass them on.
• Partially eaten hot dogs count and hot dogs still chewed at the end of the settlement may qualify (as long as they are successfully swallowed).
• Penalty cards may be issued for messy meals and regurgitating.
• Sudden death eliminations will be in play if there is a tie at the end of the settlement.

What prizes do winners receive?

First place receives $10,000, second place $5,000, third place $2,500, fourth place $1,500 and fifth place $1,000. Additionally, the top male competitor receives a mustard yellow dazzle belt and the top female competitor receives a mustard pink dazzle belt.

Who are the notable contestants to watch out for?

Joey Chestnut is the best men’s champion of all time, with 15 Nathan titles under his belt. Chestnut holds a world record for eating 73 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Chestnut will have a dedicated camera feed on July 4 at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Miki Sudo is the best women’s champion of all time, with 8 Nathan titles under her belt. Sudo holds a world record for eating 6 hot dogs in one minute. There will be a dedicated Sudo camera stream on July 4 starting at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN3.

How can you better visualize the appetites of these winners?

According to Nathan’s website, “If you laid out all the hot dogs that former champions (since 1972) have eaten end to end, they’d stretch around a baseball diamond 2.175 times!”

How long has ESPN been affiliated with the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest?

ESPN platforms have been broadcasting the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2004. In 2022, ESPN signed a new agreement with the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) to continue the broadcast partnership through 2029.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ESPN and this ABC station.