Getty Joey Chestnut.
The eat is on as the best competitive eaters in America assemble for the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest.
The women’s contest will start around 12:20 p.m. ET, and the men’s contest will begin at about 12:40 p.m. ET, and both will be televised on ESPN.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the contests on your computer, phone or other compatible device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services, which each come with a free trial:
Watch ESPN on Vidgo
ESPN is one of 68 total channels included with Vidgo, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can then watch the 2020 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eat Contest live on your computer via the Vidgo website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or other compatible streaming device via the Vidgo app.
Watch ESPN on Hulu With Live TV
ESPN is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies. You can watch immediately with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2020 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eat Contest live on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Watch ESPN on Sling TV
ESPN is one of 31 channels included in the Sling Orange package. For the first month, it costs $20 ($30 per month after that) and includes Showtime, Starz and Epix for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the 2020 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eat Contest live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
2020 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Preview
The 104th Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest will not fall victim to a coronavirus cancelation, but the annual devouring of dogs will have a different feel not in its traditional Coney Island home.
The annual Fourth of July event has been moved to an air conditioned warehouse in New York, with many precautions in place to ensure a safe day.
“The Nathan’s Famous contest is synonymous with July 4, America and the celebration of freedom,” said George Shea, who hosted the weigh in Friday, according to ABC News. “We are honored to use the contest to highlight the incredible spirit of those who have supported our city and nation through the current challenge.”
When it comes to the Fourth, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is king. Chestnut has won the competition a dozen times and has a world record in his sights on Saturday.
“There’s a little bit of a bonus ’cause we’re gonna be eating in air conditioning and they’re less eaters, so they’re making less hot dogs so they might taste better,” Chestnut told CBS Sports. “There’s a good chance that we might have better conditions for a world record and I’ma be pushing for it.”
He’ll have to break his own record of 74 hot dogs, which he set in 2018.
“Everybody’s nervous. Everybody’s going to have to get tested. It’s nerve-wracking,” Chestnut told The New York Post. “It’s gonna be in an air-conditioned room, which is kind of a good thing. I sweat like a mad man. It could make me faster, eating indoors, but if the hot dogs cool down, that could affect the totals. This is a situation we’ve never been in before.”
Chestnut is the heavy favorite to take home the title. He’s listed at -1,100 and has a 15.5 hot dog spread. The over/under for dogs eaten is at 74.5. While confident, Chestnut admitted that quarantine did change his routine a bit.
“I ate too much and I gained a little bit of weight. Once I realized I was gaining weight, I started eating healthy – lot more vegetables,” he said. “It’s hard to eat healthy during quarantine. It’s so easy to order take out and delivery food.”
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo — a six-time champ herself — is also a big favorite at -750. Here are the results of the last five contests.
- 2019: Joey Chestnut 71, Miki Sudo 31
- 2018: Joey Chestnut 74, Miki Sudo 37
- 2017: Joey Chestnut 72, Miki Sudo 41
- 2016: Joey Chestnut 70, Miki Sudo 38.5
- 2015: Matt Stonie 62, Miki Sudo 38