Competitive eating is a surprisingly organized sport in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. But where do people love this sport the most?
Competitive eating, also known as speed eating, is a surprising sport where participants race to consume vast quantities of food within a set time limit. Think hot dog havens on July 4th but dialed up to eleven! Contests typically last between 8-30 minutes, with the person devouring the most food crowned the champion.
While the act of eating quickly might seem basic, competitive eating is a surprisingly organized sport in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. But where do people love this sport the most?
To reveal this, online betting Betway analyzed Google search data for relevant terms, the number of MLE native eaters and the number of food challenges available in all the states and Canada.
Also, this study coincides perfectly with National Hot Dog Month, a time to celebrate this iconic American food and the outrageous feats of competitive eating.
Best States for Competitive Eating
· With 50 food challenge locations and 824.58 searches per 100,000 capita, Georgia ranks first as the most competitive eating state.
· Texas, with the joint most amount of MLE eaters alongside New York with 5, follows closely in second while Florida completes the top three.
· California, in ninth position, have the most amount of food challenge locations with 188.
The top 10 is as follows:
Rank | State |
No. of Food Challenges Locations | No. of MLE eaters | SV for ‘Competitive Eating’ per 100,000 | SV for ‘Man v Food’ per 100,000 | Total Score |
1 | Georgia | 50 | 1 | 85.89 | 824.58 | 2.302 |
2 | Texas | 150 | 5 | 20.17 | 112.54 | 2.106 |
3 | Florida | 140 | 4 | 29.13 | 212.85 | 2.066 |
4 | Missouri | 54 | 0 | 99.61 | 653.00 | 2.053 |
5 | Pennsylvania | 102 | 5 | 19.38 | 119.98 | 1.844 |
6 | New York | 103 | 5 | 19.01 | 113.36 | 1.837 |
7 | Illinois | 92 | 3 | 33.16 | 229.90 | 1.664 |
8 | Indiana | 60 | 2 | 41.37 | 270.82 | 1.422 |
9 | California | 188 | 1 | 6.07 | 54.38 | 1.300 |
10 | Michigan | 125 | 0 | 29.44 | 220.10 | 1.195 |
Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has been hosted every summer on Coney Island since 1972. Competitors eat as many dogs as they can in 10 minutes, hoping to claim the “Mustard Belt” and a grand prize $10,000.
Competitive Eating in Canada
· Canada has 150 food challenge locations overall across the country.
· Meanwhile, they have 22,800 searches for ‘Man v Food’ while 7,080 searches from the past 12 months for ‘competitive eating’.
Canada | # |
Number of MLE Eaters | 1 |
SV for ‘Competitive Eating’ | 7,080 |
SV for ‘Man v Food’ | 22,800 |
No. of Food Challenge Locations | 150 |
Competitive eating is just one of the many exciting sports you can wager on with Betway. Make sure to check out the latest news about all major sports leagues, from the NFL and NBA to NHL and MLB.
Methodology:
Four different data points per state were measured in an index. They were:
· The number of native MLE eaters
· The number of local food challenges
· The Google Trends Score for the ‘Man vs. Food’ and ‘Competitive Eating’ keywords from the past 12 months.
· A total average score for each state was then calculated — with each state ranked from top to bottom for a Top 10.
Sources:
· Google Keyword Planner
· Number of native MLE eaters: https://majorleagueeating.com/eaters/
· Number of food challenges: https://www.foodchallenges.com/locations-list/
All data was collected on July 16, 2024.
