Tributes paid after ex-Endemol Shine Poland MD and TVN founder Ryszard Sibilski dies aged 69
Veteran TV executive Ryszard Sibilski, the founder of Polish channel TVN and former MD of Endemol Shine Poland, has died at the age of 69 after battling an unspecified illness.

Ryszard Sibilski
His death was announced by his wife, singer Ewa Bem, and their daughter Gabriela on social media.
Bem said: “I am miserable with complete misfortune. To the brim. My Ryszard Dindi Sibilski, my beautiful husband and the meaning of my life, although he fought so bravely, had to lose.
“For me, he won, because he left me with faith in love at first sight until the grave. See you, Dindiku.”
Gabriela wrote: “A television legend, a fantastic guy, a devoted husband, my beloved dad. The disease took him away from us unexpectedly, and there was still so much ahead of us.
“I won’t say rest in peace, because I know that’s not your style, dad. If something can be done up there, then you’re definitely already setting everything up there.”
Sibilski was educated at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, one of the oldest and most prestigious business schools in Poland. The early part of his career saw him travel around Africa working as a translator.
Returning to his native land, Sibilski worked at the Polish Jazz Association before joining the now-defunct media conglomerate ITI Group in Warsaw, initially as a commercial expert before leading the company’s investment in home video distribution.
In 1993, as president of ITI Cinema, he managed the distribution rights to feature films from US studios such as Universal, Paramount, Warner, MGM and Columbia Tristar.
In the late 1990s, Sibilski helped found free-to-air network TVN, which was launched nationwide in October 1997. As VP, he was responsible for acquisitions, the production of imported TV formats, finance and sales.
In 2002, Sibilski returned to ITI Group, which owned TVN at the time, as MD of ITI Film Studio. After four years, he was appointed to MD of Endemol Shine Poland (ESP) – a position he would retain for about 18 years.
At ESP, Sibilski was behind a range of scripted and unscripted hits, including local versions of international formats such as The Wall, MasterChef and The Money Drop, documentary series Polish Spies and period drama Under the Old Oak Tree.
In 2023, Sibilski stepped down and was succeeded by Małgorzata Perkowska-Czaja.
By the following year, he had re-emerged as MD of Jake Vision, the Warsaw-headquartered outfit that is now something of a go-to company for local format adaptations, producing shows such as Undercover Boss, Dancing with the Stars and Ninja Warrior Polska. Jake Vision’s partnership with ITV Studios (ITVS) gave it exclusive production rights to all of ITVS’s unscripted formats commissioned in Poland.
Friends and industry colleagues have paid tribute to the exec.
TV presenter and journalist Krzysztof Ibisz said: “Ryszard Sibilski, one of the most beautiful people in the TV industry, has passed away.
“We knew each other since the late 90s, from the founding of TVN, then for the next 25 years of my life at Polsat we worked on a great number of programmes. A charming man, traveller, translator, producer, media manager, a man of great class.”
Producer, director and writer Rinke Rooyens said of Sibilski: “You were not only a visionary in the field of TV production, but also a true soul with a good heart and noble intentions.
“Although your show has come to an end, the beautiful melody of your visuals, creativity and spirit will forever resonate with us. Your legacy will continue to inspire and uplift those who were lucky enough to know you.”
Jan Kepiński, CEO and owner of Jake Vision, said: “I knew Ryszard since 1997 when he was the vice president at TVN. Together, we created iconic shows like Milionerzy and Big Brother. Over the years, we remained friends and supported each other.
“When he joined our team as general manager and became a key member of our leadership, it was because Ryszard was a creative, experienced and passionate filmmaker and TV producer. We had ambitious plans to elevate our work to the next level, and his loss is immeasurable. In his honour, we will strive to bring those plans to life, ensuring that his legacy and vision live on. He will be greatly missed.”