Updated 6/13 15:30ET with company comment.
Updated 7/2 17:41ET with clarification on Nathan’s Famous licensing agreement with Smithfield
Legendary gastronomic gladiator Joey Chestnut won’t be choking down soggy hotdogs at this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest this Fourth of July, as the 16-time champion is now representing another brand.
According to ESPN, Chestnut agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods (IMPF) which makes plant-based alternatives to meat and fish, including plant-based hot dogs, thereby making him ineligible to compete at a Nathan’s-sponsored event.
The league that oversees the competition is so hot at Chestnut, it didn’t mince its words.
“[Major League Eating] and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day… it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship,” a league representative said, cited by ESPN.
Fortunately for Chestnut, the sponsorship with Impossible Foods (IMPF) won’t permanently sever ties with Major League Eating or Nathan’s as the League will gladly take him back “when he is not representing a rival brand.”
“We love Joey and support him in any contest he chooses. It’s OK to experiment with a new dog. Meat eaters shouldn’t have to be exclusive to just one wiener,” a spokesperson from Impossible Foods said to Seeking Alpha.
Nathan’s hot dogs are manufactured by Smithfield (SFD), a subsidiary of Chinese meat and food processing company WH Group (OTCPK:WHGLY) (OTCPK:WHGRF). Smithfield is a licensee of the Nathan’s Famous retail business. Nathan’s Famous Coney Island restaurant, the site of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, is still privately-owned by the family of founder Nathan Handwerker.