Eric Evangelista is the founder of Hot Snakes Media and runs the production company alongside his wife, Shannon Evangelista. Since starting Hot Snakes Media in 2011, the husband-and-wife team have produced thousands of hours of popular programming, including the two highest-rated freshman seasons of any series in the history of both Discovery and TLC. Over the last decade, they have been the hitmakers behind top shows across genres including paranormal, true crime, doc series, unscripted and wildlife/adventure programming.

2021 was a banner year for Hot Snakes Media, and with the recent success of Netflix’s breakout hit DEAF U, the buzz surrounding Discovery’s PIG ROYALTY and the ongoing fan base for BREAKING AMISH, the production company has been busier than ever. Additionally, Evangelista co-founded the new production company Phantasticus Films with renowned wildlife expert Forrest Galante. As an arm of Hot Snakes Media, Phantasticus’ mission is to create seminal wildlife and adventure programming with a purpose. Phantasticus is the only production company that actively finances conservation work in exchange for filming rights and the ability to bring exposure to causes.

2022 brings more premieres, renewals and new talent signings for Hot Snakes and Phantasticus Films. This year, the Breaking Amish franchise will enter its 11th season, VH1’s hit series TRUE CRIME CAUGHT: MY TRUE CRIME STORY returns for a second season, Discovery recently launched MYSTERIOUS CREATURES WITH FORREST GALANTE, and more SHARK WEEK programs are in the pipeline. Evangelista and team have a number of other groundbreaking projects in development and production.

Before forming Hot Snakes Media, Evangelista spent 14 years as an award-winning news producer in Boston and New York, and two years under an overall deal at Endemol as an in-house Executive Producer and format creator. As a seasoned news veteran, Eric approaches each project from a news producer’s POV which translates well with unscripted content, lending authenticity to the shows’ narratives and breaking new ground in visual storytelling. Evangelista lives in Connecticut with his wife Shannon and two children.