Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 12,130,480	$ 13,630,996
Fair Value	11,960,287	13,266,816
Unamortized deferred financing costs and debt	(39,317)	(41,563)
Capital Lease obligations	159,976	166,492
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations (including current portion)	12,251,139	13,755,925
Principal balance of debt redeemed	$ 1,500,000
7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value		1,500,000
Fair Value		$ 1,506,750
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.125%	7.125%
4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 900,000	$ 900,000
Fair Value	$ 916,200	$ 922,770
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.625%	4.625%
4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,200,000	$ 1,200,000
Fair Value	$ 1,205,964	$ 1,207,560
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.25%	4.25%
7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,400,000	$ 1,400,000
Fair Value	$ 1,547,000	$ 1,525,440
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.875%	7.875%
5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,100,000	$ 1,100,000
Fair Value	$ 1,119,338	$ 1,100,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.125%	5.125%
6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 2,080,000	$ 2,021,020
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.75%	6.75%
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 1,905,000	$ 1,889,780
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.875%	5.875%
5% Senior Notes due 2023 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,500,000	$ 1,500,000
Fair Value	$ 1,321,305	$ 1,297,500
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.00%	5.00%
5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024 \| DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS")
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 1,835,000	$ 1,765,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.875%	5.875%
Other notes payable
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 30,480	$ 30,996
Fair Value	$ 30,480	$ 30,996

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

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Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

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Amount of long-term debt before deduction of unamortized discount or premium. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, with initial maturities beyond one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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The amount of debt discount (net of debt premium) that was originally recognized at the issuance of the instrument that has yet to be amortized.

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The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

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The cash outflow for the settlement of long-term borrowing, with the highest claim on the assets of the entity in case of bankruptcy or liquidation, as it matures.

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