Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended				6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Jun. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Jun. 21, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	May 28, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Jun. 30, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018	Jun. 30, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 DISH DBS	Apr. 05, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 DISH DBS	Jun. 30, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020	Jun. 30, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 DISH DBS	Apr. 05, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 DISH DBS	Jun. 30, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Jun. 30, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Jun. 21, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	May 28, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Jun. 30, 2013 7 % Senior Notes due 2013	Dec. 31, 2012 7 % Senior Notes due 2013	Jun. 30, 2013 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014	Dec. 31, 2012 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014	Jun. 30, 2013 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	Dec. 31, 2012 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	Jun. 30, 2013 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2012 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	Jun. 30, 2013 4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	Jun. 30, 2013 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	Dec. 31, 2012 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	Jun. 30, 2013 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	Dec. 31, 2012 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	Jun. 30, 2013 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2012 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	Jun. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2023	Dec. 31, 2012 5% Senior Notes due 2023	Jun. 30, 2013 Mortgages and other notes payable	Dec. 31, 2012 Mortgages and other notes payable
Long-term debt
Interest rate (as a percent)						5.00%	5.00%			4.25%	4.25%		5.125%	5.125%		6.25%	6.25%			7.00%		6.625%		7.75%		7.125%		4.625%		7.875%		6.75%		5.875%		5.00%
Aggregate principal amount									$ 1,250,000,000			$ 1,200,000,000			$ 1,100,000,000				$ 1,350,000,000
Term of debt instrument							4 years				5 years			7 years			10 years
Debt instrument issuance as a percentage of the face amount									100.00%			100.00%			100.00%				100.00%
Redemption price as a percentage of principal amount								100.00%			100.00%			100.00%				101.00%
Maximum percentage of the aggregate principal amount of notes redeemable before April 1, 2016 with net cash proceeds of certain equity offerings or capital contributions											35.00%
Maximum percentage of the aggregate principal amount of notes redeemable before May 1, 2016 with net cash proceeds of certain equity offerings or capital contributions														35.00%
Percentage of principal amount at which notes may be required to be repurchased in event of change of control											101.00%			101.00%
Premiums, interest expense and deferred financing costs	214,870,000	109,301,000	376,256,000	247,314,000		7,000,000	7,000,000									23,000,000	23,000,000
Carrying Value	13,934,657,000		13,934,657,000		11,638,955,000					1,200,000,000			1,100,000,000							500,000,000	500,000,000	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000	750,000,000	750,000,000	1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000	900,000,000	900,000,000	1,400,000,000	1,400,000,000	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000	1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000	84,657,000	88,955,000
Fair Value	14,396,982,000		14,396,982,000		12,806,555,000					1,161,000,000			1,097,250,000							505,950,000	521,875,000	1,042,500,000	1,078,500,000	811,875,000	844,725,000	1,623,750,000	1,683,750,000	906,750,000	940,500,000	1,555,750,000	1,669,500,000	2,130,000,000	2,280,000,000	2,030,000,000	2,150,000,000	1,447,500,000	1,548,750,000	84,657,000	88,955,000
Capital lease obligations	234,212,000		234,212,000		249,145,000
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations (including current portion)	14,168,869,000		14,168,869,000		11,888,100,000
Principal balance reclassified to Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations																				$ 500,000,000