DraftKings an Official Partner of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest
DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) partners with Major League Eating for the 2020 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, adapting the event to ensure health safety amid the pandemic. This year, the contest will not be held in public but will be broadcast on ESPN. DraftKings offers a free-to-play pool with $25,000 in prizes and betting options for customers in Colorado, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. The event highlights American tradition while supporting food banks and honoring essential workers.
- Official partnership with Major League Eating enhances brand visibility.
- Engagement through a $25,000 free-to-play pool attracts sports fans.
- Betting options available in multiple states expand market reach.
- In-person attendance is eliminated, potentially reducing fan engagement.
- Dependence on digital engagement may not fully capture traditional viewership.
NEW YORK, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Major League Eating announced today that DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) is an official partner of the 2020 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. It was recently announced that the annual contest, an American holiday tradition 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, a leader in the digital sports entertainment and gaming industries, will be an Official Partner of the 2020 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. As part of the partnership, DraftKings will provide sports fans with numerous ways to interact with this holiday classic including a free-to-play pool with
“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an iconic U.S. tradition that personifies American competition,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer of DraftKings. “We are proud to have partnered with Major League Eating to offer people everywhere the opportunity to engage with such a classic event.”
On a typical July 4th, tens of thousands converge on the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island to watch the event in person. While such an in-person gathering is not possible this year, the contest will be broadcast on ESPN for all to see beginning at 12 noon ET.
“We are excited to have DraftKings on board this year and we’re thrilled that they’ll help bring the fun and excitement of this venerable contest to thousands of additional sports fans,” said Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating. “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.”
Last year, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, held on to his Championship title, fending off Darron Breeden, of Orange, VA, by consuming 71 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Breeden finished in second place, Geoffrey Esper took third, and 2015 Champion Matt Stonie came in fourth. 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. Miki’s all-time best is 41 hot dogs and buns, set in 2018. She will battle Larell Marie Mele of Long Pond, PA, and Katie Prettyman of Marysville, WA.
As it has for years, Nathan’s Famous will donate 100,000 Nathan’s Famous 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 that safety standards are in place.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirits of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators across more than 15 regulated U.S. and global markets, including Arkansas and Oregon in the U.S. DraftKings’ Sportsbook offers mobile and retail betting for major U.S. and international sports and operates in the United States pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 8 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL as well as an authorized gaming operator of the MLB and NBA.
About Major League Eating
Major League Eating is the governing body that oversees professional eating contests worldwide. The organization was formed in the late 1990s to advance the sport safely and maintain its integrity. Major League Eating (MLE) develops, publicizes and produces world-class eating competitions in all variety of food disciplines. Featuring the world’s top competitive eaters, MLE events provide dramatic audience entertainment. For more information, visit www.majorleagueeating.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or on Instagram and Twitter: @eatingcontest.
Media Contacts:
Major League Eating
Richard Shea & Adriana Ball
rshea@sheacommunications.com
adriana@sheacommunications.com
DraftKings
media@draftkings.com
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