ESPN: Hot Dog! It's The July 4th Holiday

The annual tradition continues this Fourth of July, as the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Contest will air live on Tuesday, July 4 from the iconic corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island.

ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights from 10:45 a.m. ET to the conclusion of the event. This marks the 20th consecutive year ESPN has televised the event, and will continue to do so at least through 2029.

Coverage of the women’s competition begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3. The men’s competition airs at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Re-airs of the competitions occur across ESPN networks throughout the day, with one of those being at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Again hosting the event will be the dynamic duo of SportsCenter Anchor John Anderson and Major League Eating President Rich Shea for the second-straight year. On-site reporting will be Renee James.  

As for the eaters themselves, World Champion Joey Chestnut and Top-ranked Female Miki Sudo look to defend their Mustard Belts during the 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest. Last year, Chestnut ate 63 hot dogs and buns on the men’s side, while Sudo returned to the women’s competition and reclaimed the top spot after eating 40 hot dogs and buns. 

Chestnut set a world record by eating 76 hot dogs and buns in 2021. Sudo’s record is 48 ½ hot dogs and buns. During the competitions, Chestnut and Sudo will have isolation cameras on them on ESPN3. The Sudo camera will begin at 11 a.m. ET. Chestnut at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Top male and female international eaters from England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Australia will compete in the contest. Other notable eaters for this year’s men’s and women’s competitions include: Nick Wehry, James Webb, Michelle Lesco, and Geoffrey Esper, among others.

“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is the crucible through which greatness is forged,” said Major League Eating Chair George Shea. “On Independence Day 2023, we will once again celebrate the birth of this nation and the champion of the Fourth of July.”

Nathan’s Famous will also make its annual donation of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City prior to the event.