- Simulcast coverage of the men’s contest begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC as part of its Disney Celebrates America initiative
- No. 1 overall eater Joey Chestnut looking for back-to-back wins; top-ranked female Miki Sudo looks for a fifth-straight Mustard Belt
The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is nearing its annual return to the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island. On July 4, No. 1 overall eater Joey Chestnut and top-ranked female eater Miki Sudo look to retain their mustard belts. Chestnut looks for his 18th title while Sudo aims for her 12th overall and fifth straight.
This year, the men’s contest will simulcast on ABC beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET as part of the Disney Celebrates America initiative. Coverage begins at Noon ET on ESPN2 with a re-air at 4 p.m. ET also on ESPN2.
Said George Shea, Chair of Major League Eating: “The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest stands as an enduring beacon of freedom for our nation and the world, and we look forward to watching the greatest eaters compete once again on the most celebrated stage in international sports.”
ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights from 10:45 a.m. ET to the conclusion of the event, and marks the 23rd consecutive year ESPN has televised the competition. Coverage of the women’s competition begins at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN+/ESPN App with the contest replayed during the men’s competition.
Returning as event hosts is the duo of E60 and The Sports Reporters Host Jeremy Schaap and Major League Eating President Rich Shea, alongside the contest debut for SEC Network/soccer analyst Marion Crowder. This is Schaap’s third year on the broadcast team.
Said Schaap: “There is no event on the calendar that better captures the spirit of America than the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. There is nowhere I would rather be than the corner of Surf and Stillwell on our nation’s 250th anniversary. If the founding fathers were still alive, I am certain they would want to be with us at Nathan’s on the Fourth of July.”
As for the eaters, the 2026 competition features the top-ranked male and female, Chestnut and Sudo, respectively, along with notable eaters such as No. 2 Patrick Bertoletti, No. 4 James Webb, No. 6 Nick Wehry, No. 8 Max Stanford, No. 12 Radim Dvoracek on the men’s side, and No. 14 Michelle Lesco, No. 22 Domenica Dee, No. 23 Tandra Childress, No. 26 Katie Prettman and No. 27 Larell Marei Mele on the women’s side.
During the contests, Chestnut and Sudo will once again have isolation cameras on them. The Sudo camera begins at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN+/ESPN App and the Chestnut camera at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited/ESPN App.
The men’s world record is 76 hot dogs and buns, set by Chestnut in 2021, while on the women’s side, Sudo looks to top her 51 hot dogs and buns performance set in 2024.
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.
| 2026 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest: July 4 Broadcast Schedule | ||
| Activity | Time(s) (ET) | Network |
| Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest: Women’s Competition | 10:45 a.m. | ESPN+/ESPN App |
| Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
*Women’s contest will be recapped within Noon ET hour *Re-airs also on July 5 at Noon, 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET |
Noon (live) | ESPN2 |
| 12:30 p.m. (live) | ABC | |
| 3 p.m. (re-air) | ESPN2 | |
| 9 p.m. (re-air) | ESPN | |
| Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Iso Camera (Sudo) | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN+/ESPN App |
| Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Iso Camera (Chestnut) | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN Unlimited /ESPN App |
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