October 03, 2025
Provided Image/Philadelphia Phillies
The new 9-9-9 box at Citizens Bank Park includes nine mini hot dogs and nine small beers for fans to eat and drink during a game's nine innings — a play off the viral ballpark challenge.
For just over $50, Philadelphia Phillies fans can partake in an indulgent concession challenge during Red October at Citizens Bank Park.
The 9-9-9 box, inspired by the viral 9-9-9 challenge, includes nine mini hot dogs and nine small beers. It is available at the South Philly Market in Section 128 for $54.99.
The 9-9-9 challenge typically asks fans to drink one full-size beer and eat one hot dog per inning, however the box offers some relief — concession vendor Aramark describes the dogs as "bite-sized" and said the beers are "petite." The box itself also features a scoreboard for participants to track their progress.
The 9-9-9 box appears to be a more affordable option for competitors, albeit a smaller one. It costs $4.99 for a standard hot dog and $11.79 for a small domestic beer at Citizens Bank Park, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, making the total cost to complete a full-size challenge around $150.
The contest isn't new, the Wall Street Journal reported that it's been in place for at least 10 years, but it saw a resurgence this summer on TikTok and Instagram. The idea is a marathon, not a sprint, and online videos often show fans with regrets later in the game or getting sick halfway through.
The mishaps haven't stopped Philadelphians from giving it a try. In August, a Los Angeles NBC affiliate reported that 4,868 Phillies fans had attempted to complete the 9-9-9 challenge, the most of any team's fans in the league. The New York Yankees came in second at 4,586 and the L.A. Dodgers ranked third at 4,028 attempts.
Challengers also have a little less time to complete the task after the MLB added a pitching clock in 2023, which now limits the time between pitches to 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 18 seconds when there's at least one runner on.
