10 hours ago 3

Nathan’s hot dog eating contest 2025: Record, time and how to watch as Joey Chestnut returns after one-year ban

Every July 4, America celebrates its independence the only way it knows how: With an excessive food competition. The Nathan's hot dog eating contest is back in 2025 and features the return of a fan favorite.

Joey Chestnut will participate in the event after a one-year ban. The 41-year-old has won the event 16 times during his competitive-eating career, and will look to take back the title after his one-year absence.

With the stage set for Chestnut's big return, here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Nathans' hot dog eating contest.

What time is the hot dog eating contest?

The 2025 Nathan's hot dog eating contest will get underway at 10:45 a.m. ET. That's when the women will take the stage for the women's portion of the contest. Chestnut, and the men, will take the stage at 12 p.m. ET.

The Nathan's hot dog eating contest is always held July 4, and typically takes place near the original Nathan's store in Coney Island. Competitors have 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible.

Nathan's hot dog eating record

Unsurprisingly, Chestnut holds the all-time record after he consumed 76 hot dogs at the event in 2021. Chestnut essentially dominates the leaderboard on the men's side, and has eaten at least 70 hot dogs at the event six times. The best winning performance by a contestant other than Chestnut came in 2015, when Matt Stonie ate 62 hot dogs to upset Chestnut.

On the women's side, Miki Sudo set the record with 51 hot dogs consumed in 2024. Sudo is the Chestnut equivalent on the women's side. Sudo has won the women's portion of the event all but one year since 2014.

The Nathan's hot dog eating contest started in 1972, per Nathan's website. Jason Schechter won the first official competition on the men's side, eating 14 hot dogs.

Joey Chestnut hot dog record

Chestnut may own the Nathan's record with 76 hot dogs, but that's not his career-best. After being banned from the Nathan's hot dog eating contest in 2024, Chestnut his own hot-dog eating competition with former rival Takeru Kobayashi. The competition — which aired on Netflix — saw Chestnut eat a record 83 hot dogs.

Chestnut has never broken 80 hot dogs at the Nathan's event, so he has something to shoot for in 2025.

Chestnut also holds the record with 16 wins at the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. His next closest competitor, Kobayashi, won the event six times.

Who won the hot dog eating contest 2024?

With Chestnut unable to take part in the event in 2024, a new champion was crowned. Patrick Bertoletti won the 2024 Nathan's hot dog eating contest with 58 hot dogs. Bertoletti competed in the event multiple times before winning it all, usually finishing third or fourth.

On the women's side, Sudo won the 2024 Nathan's hot dog eating contest after consuming a record 51 hot dogs. Sudo has not lost the event since 2021. She's won the Nathan's hot dog eating contest 10 times.

Hot dog eating contest cheating

Bertoletti and Sudo's wins at the 2024 Nathan's hot dog eating contest were overshadowed by a cheating scandal. One of the contestants on the men's side, Nick Wehry, was accused of moving a plate in front of his stack after the 2024 event ended. Competitor's totals are determined by adding up total plates in front of a competitor, with each plate holding five hot dogs. Wehry initially was ruled to have eaten 46.75 hot dogs. But a recount resulted in him being credited with 51.75. He finished fourth at the event. The extra plate did not affect his standing.

Wehry, who is married to Sudo, denied the allegations, urging Major League Eating (MLE) to adjust his number if it determined he cheated. Wehry added that he "would never want to take a placing or number I didn’t earn."

MLE reviewed the footage, and said it would not overturn the judges' decision at the event.

Why did Joey Chestnut get banned?

Chestnut will return to the 2025 Nathan's hot dog eating competition after he was banned from the event in 2024. Chestnut's ban was the result of his partnership with Impossible Foods. Nathan's does not allow competitors to endorse rival brands, leading to Chestnut's ban in 2024.

Chestnut remains partnered with Impossible Brands, but said he was "able to find common ground" with Nathan's, leading to him returning to the event. While Chestnut still works with plant-based companies, he explained that "those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs."

Nathan's hot dog eating contest prize money

A prize pool of roughly $40,000 is split between the men's and women's event, per ESPN. The winner of each portion of the event receives $10,000. Second place gets $5,000 and third place receives $2,500.

How to watch the 2025 Nathan's hot dog eating contest?

The 2025 Nathan's hot dog eating contest will air on multiple ESPN channels. The women's contest, which will begin at 10:45 a.m. will air on ESPN3. The men's event — which starts at 12 p.m. ET — will air on ESPN2.