Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 21, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Jun. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	May 28, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018	Apr. 05, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 DISH DBS	Sep. 30, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 DISH DBS	Sep. 30, 2013 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 DISH DBS Redemption Prior to April 1, 2016	Sep. 30, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020	Apr. 05, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 DISH DBS	Sep. 30, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 DISH DBS	Sep. 30, 2013 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 DISH DBS Redemption Prior to May 1, 2016	Jun. 21, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Jun. 30, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Sep. 30, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	May 28, 2013 6 1/4% Senior Notes due 2023	Sep. 30, 2013 7 % Senior Notes due 2013	Dec. 31, 2012 7 % Senior Notes due 2013	Oct. 02, 2013 7 % Senior Notes due 2013 Subsequent event	Sep. 30, 2013 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014	Dec. 31, 2012 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2014	Sep. 30, 2013 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	Dec. 31, 2012 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2015	Sep. 30, 2013 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	Dec. 31, 2012 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016	Sep. 30, 2013 4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	Dec. 31, 2012 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019	Sep. 30, 2013 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	Dec. 31, 2012 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021	Sep. 30, 2013 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	Dec. 31, 2012 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022	Sep. 30, 2013 5% Senior Notes due 2023	Dec. 31, 2012 5% Senior Notes due 2023	Sep. 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%		4.25%		4.25%		5.125%		5.125%				6.25%		7.00%		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 with net proceeds of certain equity offerings or capital contributions													35.00%				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, as applicable	189,474,000	143,818,000	565,730,000	391,132,000			7,000,000												23,000,000
Carrying Value	13,883,769,000		13,883,769,000		11,638,955,000					1,200,000,000				1,100,000,000								451,448,000	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	82,321,000	88,955,000
Fair Value	14,383,674,000		14,383,674,000		12,806,555,000					1,203,000,000				1,081,135,000								451,498,000	521,875,000		1,055,050,000	1,078,500,000	821,100,000	844,725,000	1,649,595,000	1,683,750,000	920,250,000	940,500,000	1,598,100,000	1,669,500,000	2,108,600,000	2,280,000,000	2,019,900,000	2,150,000,000	1,393,125,000	1,548,750,000	82,321,000	88,955,000
Capital lease obligations	227,555,000		227,555,000		249,145,000
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations (including current portion)	14,111,324,000		14,111,324,000		11,888,100,000
Debt repurchased																						49,000,000
Principal balance of debt redeemed																								$ 451,000,000