Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Other Investment Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	$ 161,634	$ 557,911
Restricted marketable investment securities	82,307	82,280
Total marketable investment securities	243,941	640,191
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	67	94
Total other investment securities	324,371	327,250
Total marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalents and other investment securities	568,379	967,535
EchoStar
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Cost method investments	228,795	228,795
HSSC
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Cost method investments	87,409	87,409
Current marketable investment securities - strategic
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	119,734	259,145
Current marketable investment securities - other
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	41,900	298,766
Cost method investments	$ 8,167	$ 11,046

Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalent and other investment securities.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as trading securities nor held-to-maturity securities and intended be sold or mature one year or operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
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- Definition

Amount, after adjustment, of cost-method investment. Adjustments include, but are not limited to, dividends received in excess of earnings after date of investment that are considered a return of investment and other than temporary impairments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
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-Topic 325
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-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=29638308&loc=d3e40346-111594

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- References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
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-Section 50
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- Definition

Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale which are intended to be held for greater than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer and that are pledged to one or more secured parties who have the right to buy, sell, or re-pledge the collateral.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
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-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 6
-Article 9

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- Definition

Other investments not otherwise specified in the taxonomy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
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- Definition

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

+ References

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