July 4, 2024

How The Man Behind Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Built an Empire

Major League Eating CEO George Shea explains how he built the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition

Episode 354: Neal and Toby chat with George Shea, the CEO of Major League Eating which is the organization behind the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. They address what happened with the contest’s biggest star, Joey Chestnut, and how George can compete with Netflix. George Shea shares the secret behind making virtually any event entertaining and how to pull off a good stunt. They also talk about the history of competitive eating and what the future holds for the sport. 


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Time code :

00:00 - Intro

2:20 - What happened with Joey Chestnut?

7:20 - Netflix puts up its own eating contest

9:50 - Eating records that won’t be broken

10:30 - The art of spectacle

15:15 - Origins of Major League Eating

18:00 - How to pull off a good stunt

19:15 - Growth opportunities for competitive eating

25:15 - Which celebrities would George put up?

29:15 - Neal’s epic intro

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