Video: Joey Chestnut Hopeful to Compete at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest After Ban

Joey Chestnut isn't giving up hope about competing in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest again.

Speaking to Talia Goodman of On3Sports, Chestnut said he remains "hopeful things can be worked out" to allow him to participate in the annual July 4 event.

The competitive eating circuit was thrown for a loop earlier this week when Chestnut revealed he had been banned from competing at the 2024 Hot Dog Eating Contest because of his partnership with Impossible Foods.

In a statement issued to Steve Cuozzo of the New York Post, Major League Eating, which runs the contest, cited Chestnut's deal with a "rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs" among the reasons for the decision:

"We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

"MLE and Nathan's went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.

"For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship.

"Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. We hope he returns when he is not representing a rival brand."

Cuozzo noted Chestnut was offered a four-year, $1.2 million contract to keep appearing in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, and the two sides "could still come to a resolution" before this event, but it depends on Chestnut's willingness to agree to MLE's terms.

"He's the Michael Jordan of competitive eating. But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, 'I love being the face of Nike but I want to do commercials for Adidas too,'" one source told Cuozzo.

Even though fans may not get to see Chestnut at his regular event, he will take on longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in a hot dog eating contest on Sept. 2 in a Netflix event. The date and start time for the event will be announced at a later date.

Chestnut has won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 16 times since 2007. The only time he has failed to win during this run was in 2015 when Matt Stonie ate 62 hot dogs, two more than Chestnut.