What Time is Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

Everyone's favorite July 4 competition is finally here.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating champion Joey Chestnut's belt before the Lugnuts game against the TinCaps on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, at Jackson Field in Lansing. Chestnut was participating in an olive burger eating contest before the game. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

It's July 4, and you know what that means— it's time for the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, held annually on Coney Island. This year's competition will look quite a bit different from years past as the historically dominant reigning champion, Joey Chestnut, will not be participating. But that merely opens the door for another professional eater to wow the audience by chowing down hot dogs by the dozen.

The most important question, however (and one that has been occasionally tricky to answer) is when you should flip on the television to observe the year's greatest food competition. We endeavor to answer that question for you, reader, here.

What Time Does Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Start?

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest officially kicks off at 10:45 a.m. ET on ESPN3. The first hour of coverage will be dedicated to the women's competition. The men's competition, where the world will see which eater takes Chestnut's throne, will begin at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The competitions will be re-aired at 5 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Where is Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?

Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York of course! Specifically at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues. The Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held in the same location most years its unofficial inception in 1972 and every year since Major League Eating began sponsoring the event in 1997.

Coney Island has a long history of such contests, even if the Hot Dog Contest has entered its own stratosphere of fame in the 21st century, so it makes sense as the only home.

How to Watch Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

As noted above, the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3 to start and ESPN2 by the time the men's competition rolls around. You can watch ESPN with a cable subscripion; check local listings for channels. Additionally, you can stream it on ESPN.com with a cable login.

The flagship ESPN channel will broadcast the re-runs of the competition at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET.