Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to continue on ESPN

Returning champion Joey Chestnut smiles as he celebrates his victory in the men's round of the 2022 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Anthony Behar

ESPN reaches extension to continue broadcasting Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 11/21/22

There have been plenty of reasons to tune into ESPN over the years -- especially in the heyday of SportsCenter.

Who amongst us that grew up a sports fan doesn't fondly remember Stuart Scott telling us which players were "cooler than the other side of the pillow" or watching the all-time lineup of "Outside the Lines" followed by "Rome is Burning", "NFL Live", "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption"?

Those were the good old days.

As classic as all those shows were, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been just as much as a staple for the "four-letter network" over the years.

Instead of daily, though, it only came around once a year. And what a spectacle it has been every Fourth of July, specifically in the era of Joey Chestnut, who has won 15 championships.

Joey Chestnut wins his 1️⃣5️⃣th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating championship pic.twitter.com/oyk84XEa0z
— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2022

The good news for fans of competitive eating is that Nathan's hot dog contest will stay on ESPN for the foreseeable future. In fact, ESPN is announcing an extended deal with the International Federation of Competitive Eating that will keep Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on the network through 2029.

"You can’t beat the spectacle that is the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest,” ESPN Director of Programming & Acquisitions John Suchenski said via a press release. “It’s a sports calendar and Fourth of July staple, one of those classic, timeless events we know fans look forward to every year. It has had memorable moments over the years, and we’re ecstatic that many more will be on our platforms for the foreseeable future.”

President of Major League Eating, Rich Shea, also chimed in, saying "ESPN is a fantastic broadcast partner and they capture the spirit of the event perfectly.

If you're just now learning that there's such a thing as the International Federation of Competitive Eating as well as an entity known as Major League Eating...you're not alone.

What a time to be alive.

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