Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2017: TV Channel, Start Time, Live Stream Info For 4th Of July

Grilling hot dogs is a tradition as American as the Fourth of July itself. Also a tradition? Watching people compete to eat as many hot dogs as humanly possible at the Superbowl of competitive eating.

The 2017 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn will take place Tuesday on the Fourth of July. Last year’s men’s winner Joey Chestnut was able to eat 70 hot dogs and buns in the allotted 10-minute window, a record for the Coney Island contest. He will face 2015’s winner Matt Stonie and up and comer Carmen Cincotti. Before getting knocked off by Stonie in 2015, Chestnut won the contest eight consecutive times.

Chestnut also holds a world record for downing dogs, eating 73 of them in a 2016 Washington D.C. qualifier.

On the women’s side world record-holder, Sonya Thomas takes on last year’s winner Miki Sudo who managed to down 38.5 hot dogs. Sudo has won three years in a row.

The total prize purse this year is $40,000, first place winners receive $10,000.

The event is sanctioned by the professional eating outfit, Major League Eating.

Japanese eater Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi became one of the original stars of the contest by ushering in a totally new style. In 2001 he managed to eat 50 hot dogs, doubling the previous record. He won the Fourth of July competition six consecutive times before refusing to participate. Only contestants who are sanctioned by Major League Eating are allowed to participate, and Kobayashi refused to sign with the company according to a 2011 Deadspin article.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest festivities will begin at their flagship restaurant located at 1310 Surf Avenue at 10 a.m. with music and dance performances. The women’s competition will begin at 11 a.m. and the men’s competition will begin at 12:30 p.m. The live coverage on ESPN2 will begin at 12 p.m.

ESPN has been airing the contest since 2003 and in 2014 signed a deal to carry the contest through 2024.

When: 12 p.m.

TV Channel: ESPN2

Live Streaming: WatchESPN