According to the New York Post, Major League Eating has banned Joey Chestnut from participating in this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th because of his sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods.
Major League Eating (MLE), which runs the Nathan’s hot dog contest, banned Chestnut, a 16-time champion of the competition, after he signed an endorsement deal with fake meat brand Impossible Foods despite warnings from the league. according to To NYP.
Joey Chestnut has been banned from the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. @nypost I will report.
According to Major League Eating, the 16-time champion is unable to compete in the tournament due to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods. pic.twitter.com/YakQygsnio
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 11, 2024
“We are deeply disappointed to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand of plant-based hot dogs rather than compete in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” the league said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
The league has allowed Chestnut to compete in other leagues as long as he doesn’t name a competitor, according to the NYP, and has offered him a four-year contract worth $1.2 million, on top of the $200,000 appearance fee he received for last year’s contest.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to an appearance fee and allowing Joey to participate in an unnamed rival hot dog eating contest on Labor Day,” the statement continued. (Related article: Gourmet player retires and says he can no longer smell food: Report)
This contest seems to hold Nathan’s products to their own standards against all competitors.
“We have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity agreement for nearly two decades, but it appears that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with another brand over our longstanding relationship,” the statement read.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero and we would love nothing more than to have him participate in the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. We hope he will return once he is no longer representing a rival brand,” MLE concluded.
