Major League Eating announced today that DraftKings has become an official partner of the 2020 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The annual contest, typically held at the Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant in Coney Island, NY, will be conducted this year, albeit in a private location with proper health and safety guidelines in place.

DraftKings will provide sports fans with numerous ways to interact with the eating contest, including a free-to-play pool with $25,000 in prizes accessible via the DraftKings Sportsbook app. In addition, for the first time, betting will take place on the event, with DraftKings customers in Colorado, New Jersey and New Hampshire able to place a variety of bets on the contest.

“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an iconic U.S. tradition that personifies American competition, and our partnership with Major League Eating will offer people everywhere the opportunity to engage with this classic event,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer of DraftKings.

While the traditional event, with tens of thousands of fans and spectators converging on the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island on July 4th, is not possible this year, the contest will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at noon ET.

“We are fortunate to be able to conduct this event in these extraordinary and trying times. While we’ll miss the Coney Island crowd, we hope to provide a bit of levity by celebrating the Fourth with our reigning champions and the live ESPN broadcast,” said Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating.

Last year, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, held on to his championship title by consuming 71 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo of Torrington, CT, took first place, securing her sixth consecutive title by eating 31 hot dogs and buns.

As it has for years, Nathan’s Famous will donate 100,000 hot dogs to Food Bank for New York City prior to the event. This year, the contest will be dedicated to raising funds for food banks and to raising awareness for food bank needs. The contest will also be used as a platform to honor essential workers, who continue to serve the public despite risks to themselves during this pandemic.

According to the Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. Major League Eating is the governing body of all stomach-centric sports. The league sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and ensures the event is judged professionally and safety standards are in place.

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