Chestnut vs. Kobayashi Hot Dog Contest Shows Netflix is Willing to Get Creative with Live Events
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi Hot Dog Contest Shows Netflix is Willing to Get Creative with Live Events
With the Tyson vs. Paul fight on Netflix postponed until November, Netflix took the opportunity to add a more gastronomic competition to its live slate.
Ready… set… eat! It’s been a wild few days for one of the biggest stars ever in the field of competitive eating, Joey Chestnut. Normally a mainstay at the July 4 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Chestnut has been banned from the competition this year after he signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods and represented one of Nathan’s competitors. But only days later, Chestnut signed an agreement with Netflix to face off against Takeru Kobayashi in a rematch from their 2009 showdown in a live event that will be streamed on Labor Day. Read more about the event below, and check out a list of other live offerings Netflix should consider pursuing now that it’s expanding its live programming beyond sports and comedy specials.
Key Details:
- “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” will stream live on Monday, Sept. 2.
- The addition allows Netflix to offer a live sports-adjacent event before its offering of the Tyson-Paul fight in November.
- Events like the Eurovision Song Contest would be perfect for Netflix as it expands its live slate.
Chestnut is a 16-time hot dog-eating champion, while Kobayashi has taken the mustard-yellow belt six times. The two last faced each other in 2009 when Chestnut bested Kobayashi in a five-dog “sudden death” elimination. Now, the two gurgitators will go head-to-head to see who the real global champion is, and it will all happen live on Netflix on Monday, Sept. 2.
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” said Chestnut. “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!”
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi told Netflix. “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.”
Netflix had originally scheduled the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul which it won the rights to stream on July 20. But a sudden illness struck Tyson during a flight in May, prompting the bout to be moved to November 15. That left an opening in the schedule for Netflix, which hasn’t offered a live sporting event since last year’s “Netflix Cup” golf tournament. Netflix will also stream two NFL games on Christmas Day in 2024, and will begin offering episodes of “WWE Raw” every week starting in 2025.
What Other Out-Of-The-Box Live Events Could Netflix Pursue?
With apologies to the competitive eating community, this hot dog contest is the furthest from traditional live events Netflix has ever strayed. Outside of the “Netflix Cup” tournament, the only other live streams that Netflix has offered have been comedy specials like Chris Rock’s “Selective Outrage” and “The Roast of Tom Brady,” as well as a reunion episode of “Love is Blind.”
So what else could Netflix offer as a live special now that its willingness to think outside the box has become apparent? One that stands out immediately in my mind is Red Bull’s annual Flugtag competition. For the unfamiliar, Flugtag sees amateur competitors building their own human-powered flying machines, and then launching them off an elevated platform above water to see if they can fly or not. It’s always a highly entertaining spectacle, and putting it on Netflix would bring it to a global audience.
Speaking of global audiences, the popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest has transcended continental borders. It’s a worldwide phenomenon now, and as such it deserves to be on a streaming service that’s available to a global audience. Peacock does a fine job with its Eurovision coverage each year, but Netflix would give the contest the global platform it truly deserves.
What about board game/trading card game tournaments? A competition featuring Magic The Gathering or even board games like Settlers of Catan could make for entertaining viewing, and could allow Netflix to tie the events to already-existing shows like “The Witcher” which share the fantasy theme.
The list of potential live events that aren’t a sports game or comedy show that Netflix could add is practically limitless, but these are the ideas that immediately leaped into my mind. The streamer is thinking creatively about what live specials it offers, and its newly announced hot dog-eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi could be just the beginning.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”