Netflix is scraping the bottom of the barrel right now for live sports content.
In March, Netflix announced that Jake Paul, 27, would face a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a boxing match. It was one of the most cringe-worthy sporting spectacle bookings in recent memory. Perhaps predictably, Tyson withdrew from the scheduled bout due to health issues, and it’s been rebooked for November.
Despite the shocking age difference and Tyson being seen publicly using a cane, the betting odds are closer than one might expect (only -300 for Paul). It looks like some bettors are on 1980s nostalgia.
Paul versus Tyson is questionable content, but perhaps you can’t look away.
Instead of Paul-Tyson being a one-off spectacle, Netflix has doubled down in its foray into live sports content.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi
This summer, following the Paul-Tyson announcement, Netflix revealed another planned live event featuring an athlete who apparently should never compete again.
Netflix announced that competitive eating legends Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi will face off on Labor Day, Sept. 2. While Chestnut is still at the top of his game, Kobayashi has revealed that he’s struggling with health problems as a result of his competitive eating career.
Ironically, in a 2024 Netflix documentary, the 46-year-old Kobayashi said his relationship with food has been destroyed and he’s done with competitive eating.
“I hear people say they’re hungry, and they look very happy after they’ve eaten,” he said in Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut. “I’m jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger.”
Kobayashi was the king of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest before Chestnut started his long-standing reign as champion. Kobayashi, suffering from a jaw injury, lost his title to Chestnut in 2007. Chestnut defeated Kobayashi again the next two years.
All these years later, their rivalry has become a clear example of a former G.O.A.T. passing the baton to the new G.O.A.T. However, Netflix sees an opportunity for nostalgia mining.
“You could say they have unfinished beef,” Netflix said in the press release.
It’s hard to think of a rivalry more finished than Chestnut versus Kobayashi. They haven’t competed against each other since 2009, and it should probably remain that way.
Perhaps the event’s name should instead be “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Regurgitated Beef.”
FanDuel Sportsbook has Chestnut as -700 to eat more hot dogs than Kobayashi (+400) on Labor Day.
Miracle upsets do happen in sports. However, given what Kobayashi has described about his health, how can you even root for him to scarf down the dogs?
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi told Netflix. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
Like Paul-Tyson, financial terms or a prize fund for Chestnut-Kobayashi weren’t disclosed.
The competition will stream live on Netflix from the Luxor Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Chestnut versus Kobayashi kicks off at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.
Netflix to Stream NFL Games
We might see more gimmick events like these from Netflix in the future, but the streaming giant will soon have live content from the biggest sport in the United States.
Netflix will be home to a pair of NFL Christmas Day games this year: the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans.
The company will stream the Christmas Day games until 2026 under the current deal.
Netflix will also exclusively stream WWE Raw every week of the year starting in 2025.
Maybe we can think of Paul-Tyson and Chestnut-Kobayashi as shoddy appetizers before the NFL arrives on Netflix, albeit in a limited capacity.
We should be thankful Netflix hasn’t figured out a way to bring Tom Brady out of retirement.
Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images
