CONEY ISLAND — Joey Chestnut pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery in May 2026 and was placed on 180 days of probation. The plea followed an April 2026 incident in which Chestnut slapped a fan in a bar.

Chestnut is the odds-on favorite to win the 2026 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, with odds of -2500 indicating an implied probability of approximately 96%. The over/under for his total consumption is set at 72.5 hot dogs and buns. Patrick Bertolli, who finished second in the 2025 contest by eating 46.5 hot dogs and buns, has odds of 11-1 to win.

The 2026 contest is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Coney Island in New York City. The men's event begins at noon ET on ESPN2, while the women's contest airs at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3. A full broadcast of the event will also be available on ABC and ESPN2. Participants from 18 states and several countries are entered in the competition.

Chestnut won the 2025 title by consuming 70.5 hot dogs and buns, marking his 17th victory at the event. He holds the contest record of 76 hot dogs and buns, set in 2021. He did not compete in the 2024 contest due to a sponsorship with a competing hot dog brand.

Miki Sudo is the defending champion in the women's division after winning her 11th title in 2025 with 33 hot dogs. Smithfield Foods acquired Nathan's Famous for $450 million in cash in January 2026. The contest became an annual event in 1972, though the first iteration took place on July 4, 1916, outside the brand's initial hot dog stand in Coney Island.