Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest 2025: 'Ketch-up' on what you need to know

We’ve each eaten an other blistery canine astatine a Fourth of July barbecue — but lone the greats tin tummy 50 dogs successful accelerated fire.

Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest brings the world’s apical competitory eaters to Coney Island, N.Y., to spot however galore blistery dogs they tin devour successful 10 minutes. Here’s what you request to cognize astir this year’s competition.

Is Joey Chestnut competing?

Joey Chestnut, the competition’s astir decorated eater, is returning to the Coney Island signifier this twelvemonth aft a sponsorship struggle barred him from competing successful 2024. Banned aft signing a sponsorship woody with Impossible Foods, Chestnut got his capable competing astatine a antithetic contention successful El Paso, Texas. Major League Eating yet ceded the sponsorship contented with Chestnut, who posted connected X successful June that helium is “grateful we’ve been capable to find communal ground.”

Who are the eaters?

Chestnut — ranked No. 1 successful the state — is the favourite to triumph again, boasting a Major League Eating grounds of 76 blistery dogs successful 10 minutes. Other eaters to ticker are the 2024 victor and No. 2-ranked Patrick Bertoletti, No.-3 ranked eater Geoffrey Esper, No.-4 ranked eater James Webb and No.-6 ranked eater Nick Wehry.

Miki Sudo is the front-runner successful the women’s competition. The reigning champ with a 10-year winning streak, Sudo volition beryllium aiming to apical her idiosyncratic grounds acceptable successful 2024 of 51 blistery dogs.

When is the contest?

The 2025 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest volition instrumentality spot July 4 extracurricular the archetypal Nathan’s Famous connected the country of Surf and Stillwell Avenues successful Coney Island successful Brooklyn, N.Y. ESPN volition proceed its yearly broadcast of the Fourth of July contention this year, with sum opening astatine 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET. The main blistery canine eating contention is expected to statesman astatine 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

How tin I watch?

The contention volition beryllium broadcast unrecorded connected ESPN2 astatine 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. It volition aerial again connected ESPN astatine 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, and astatine 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET connected ESPN2. This volition springiness fans immoderate timing options arsenic they robust retired their Fourth of July plans.

The women’s contention volition aerial connected ESPN3 astatine 7:45 a.m. PT/10:45 a.m. ET and volition beryllium recapped astir 12 p.m. ET.

How did the contention travel to be?

In 1916, Polish migrant Nathan Handwerker utilized a $300 indebtedness and his wife’s concealed look to unfastened a nickel blistery canine basal — it wasn’t until 1972 that the archetypal blistery canine eating contention began.

What was initially a lighthearted situation has go a physically taxing sport, formalized by Major League Eating and extended media attention. Many spot the contention arsenic emblematic of America’s obsession with spectacle and excess. Nathan’s is besides not shy astir its archetypal extremity of self-promotion. Every Independence Day, tens of thousands of fans flock to Coney Island with millions much watching connected ESPN.

So, what’s connected the table?

The victor receives the highly coveted and bejeweled Mustard Belt, a $10,000 expansive prize and the esteemed champion title.

Happy Fourth of July — it’s clip to excavation in!