Hot dog champ Joey Chestnut is back and here is how you can catch his return to Nathan’s domination

The king of competitive eating is back with a vengeance.

His rivals thought they finally had their chance to shine.

But Hot dog champ Joey Chestnut is back and here is how you can catch his return to Nathan’s domination.

The hot dog champion returns to reclaim his throne

After being banned from the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest over a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, Joey Chestnut is making his triumphant return to Coney Island this Fourth of July.¹

The competitive eating legend holds an iron grip on the men’s division with 15 Nathan’s titles under his belt.

Chestnut’s absence last year opened the door for Patrick Bertoletti to snatch his first mustard belt with a respectable 58 hot dogs and buns.

But that victory celebration is about to come to an abrupt end.

Chestnut didn’t just break records during his dominant run from 2007 to 2023 – he obliterated them.

His world record of 73 hot dogs in 10 minutes stands as a testament to his unmatched eating prowess.

The man is a machine when it comes to downing Nathan’s Famous franks.

ESPN rolls out the red carpet treatment

ESPN knows exactly what draws viewers to their screens on Independence Day.

The network is giving Chestnut the star treatment he deserves with his own dedicated "Joey Chestnut Cam" starting at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.¹

That’s right after the main men’s contest kicks off at noon on ESPN2.

They’re also providing special coverage for women’s champion Miki Sudo, who has her own eight Nathan’s titles to defend.

Sudo dominated her competition last year by putting away 51 hot dogs and buns to claim her 10th women’s title.

The total prize purse sits at $40,000, with first place champions in both divisions taking home $10,000 each.¹

Not bad for 10 minutes of work.

The competition doesn’t stand a chance

Let’s be honest about what’s going to happen on July 4th.

Bertoletti had his moment in the sun when Chestnut was sidelined, but that honeymoon period is officially over.

Chestnut’s track record speaks for itself – the man won eight consecutive contests twice in his career.

From 2007 to 2014, he was untouchable.

Then he picked up right where he left off from 2016 to 2023.

His only stumble came when he was banned last year over corporate politics.

Now that he’s back in the game, expect him to remind everyone why he’s called the king of competitive eating.

Major League Eating couldn’t keep him away

The fact that Major League Eating allowed Chestnut back into the fold shows they understand what fans want to see.

Nobody tunes in to watch second-tier competitors struggle to reach 60 hot dogs.

People want to witness greatness, and Chestnut delivers that in spades.

The event has been a Fourth of July tradition since 1972, when Jason Schechter won the inaugural championship.¹

But it wasn’t until Chestnut arrived that the contest became must-see television.

ESPN has been broadcasting the event since 2004 and recently extended their deal through 2029.¹

They know Chestnut puts butts in seats and eyeballs on screens.

This year’s contest is already decided

Mark it down right now – Joey Chestnut will be wearing the mustard belt when the smoke clears at Coney Island.

Bertoletti and the rest of the field can try all they want, but they’re playing for second place.

Chestnut didn’t spend a year away from competition to come back and lose to pretenders.

He’s going to show up on July 4th and remind everyone exactly why he’s the greatest competitive eater who ever lived.

The only real question is whether he’ll break his own world record in the process.

Don’t bet against him.

¹ Source: ESPN article by Louisa Frahm, "Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2025: Time, channel, prize," July 1, 2025