Americans feeling festive about the birth of their country can celebrate by watching people inhale 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes (nearly 20,000 calories and more than 1,000 grams of fat).
Every year, millions of Americans tune into the Nathan’s 2016 Hot Dog Eating Contest, which takes place in New York’s Coney Island over the holiday weekend. Last year, the event had higher ratings than any Major League Baseball game on July 4.
Competitive eating has become a full-fledged sport in recent years, complete with record-keeping, cable broadcasting, and sponsorship deals. Eaters have developed techniques that allow them to consume more buns and sausages than ever before. In 1972, for instance, the winner ate 14 hot dogs. In 2015, it was 63.
If you want to experience this year’s spectacle or yourself, tune into ESPN3 at 10:50am (ET) for the women’s contest, at noon for the men’s. You can also watch it online, or on ESPN at 3pm.