Netflix to livestream showdown of competitive eaters Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi
(WISH) — Joey Chestnut, still reeling after being banned from a Fourth of July eating contest he’s won for years, will take on a longtime competitor on Labor Day.
Netflix said Wednesday it’ll livestream “the ultimate hot dog eating competition” featuring Westfield resident Chestnut and challenger Takeru Kobayashi in “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi | Unfinished Beef” on Sept 2. The location and time will be announced later.
Chestnut is ranked No. 1 in the world in competitive eating.
Takeru Kobayashi has been called “the godfather of competitive eating.”
Both men have been on-and-off competitors in the Nathan’s Contest on July 4 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Its organizers announced this week that Chestnut was banned due to his connections with Impossible Foods, a vegan food company that recently launched a vegan frankfurter made from plants. Chestnut has won the Nathan’s contest 16 times.
Chestnut and Kobayashi also have competed since 2005 in eating contests that have included waffles, hamburgers, bratwursts, chicken wings, and chicken satay.
In a Netflix blog post about the show, Chestnut said, “Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival. Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!”
Kobayashi said, “Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time. This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
A tweet from Netflex says “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi” will be a live event, although most of the streaming service’s programs are provided on demand. The livestream will join others offered from Netflix Sports.