Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest contestant Joey Chestnut stands next to the Nathan’s mascot Frankster, ahead of the official weigh in ceremony within the Manhattan borough of Latest York City, Latest York, U.S., July 2, 2021.
Angus Mordant | Reuters
The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest will probably be down one dog this 12 months.
Major League Eating announced Tuesday that it’s parting ways with 16-time champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut ahead of this 12 months’s competition, hosted by Nathan’s Famous.
Chestnut was previously offered a $1.2 million, four-year contract with MLE to take part in the recent dog competition, a source conversant in the matter told CNBC.
The choice to finish the connection comes after Chestnut selected to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs, the organization told CNBC in a press release. The Latest York Post reported that the brand is Unimaginable Foods, though the corporate didn’t immediately provide a comment.
An account on X under Chestnut’s name late Tuesday said he was “gutted” to search out out from the media that he was “banned” from Nathan’s hot dog eating contest this 12 months. CNBC has not independently verified the account.
The post also said: “To set the record straight, I shouldn’t have a contract with MLE or Nathans and so they need to change the foundations from past years because it pertains to other partners I can work with. This is outwardly the premise on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th event.”
Unimaginable Foods offers plant-based hot dogs, which the corporate claims to be healthier and more eco-friendly than the standard meat version, with half the saturated fat of the animal version and 84% less greenhouse gas emissions generated.
For nearly 20 years, contestants, including Chestnut, have worked under the identical “hot dog exclusivity provisions,” the MLE said in a press release.
“Joey is an ideal champion and a friend, and he’s loved in Coney Island and all all over the world. So I hope he’s there on July fourth as we have a good time Independence Day and he modifies his selection to advertise a veggie hot dog relatively than ours,” Major League Eating President Richard Shea told CNBC.
The MLE said it worked with Nathan’s to accommodate Chestnut’s requests, including allowing him to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day to be streamed by an unnamed major platform.
Joey Chestnut holds the Guinness World Record for eating probably the most hot dogs in 10 minutes, a title he won on the annual hot dog eating contest in 2021.Â
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Latest York, is a Fourth of July tradition and broadcast nationally on ESPN. It is also a marketing strategy for Nathan’s Famous, whose signature offering, the recent dog, is on a decline.
Particularly with the rise of health-conscious eating habits and the increasing importance of the wellness trend for consumers, the American staple food hot dog is one in every of many processed foods whose sales have been hurting.