Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands												1 Months Ended											3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 23, 2016	Nov. 05, 2015	Nov. 04, 2015	May 05, 2015	Feb. 20, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 20, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2012	Jan. 02, 2012	Apr. 29, 2011 USD ($) item	Feb. 23, 2010	Jan. 01, 2010	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013	May 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 21, 2012	May 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	May 31, 2010	Jan. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 item	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) item	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 item	Dec. 31, 2008 item	Aug. 01, 2014 item
Related Party Transactions
Capital contribution recorded in additional paid-in-capital for tax credits related to tax-sharing agreement																															$ 3,000
Trade accounts receivable																							$ 861,176						$ 861,176		864,028
Trade accounts payable																							575,202						575,202		470,226
Equipment sales and other revenue																							10,820		$ 31,009				22,577	$ 61,707
Satellite and transmission expenses																							178,893		194,444				354,538	381,284
Cost of sales - equipment and other																							11,697		23,805				23,684	54,300
Subscriber-related expenses																							2,242,253		2,235,536				4,463,573	4,407,255
Noncontrolling interests																							(1,353)						(1,353)		(1,000)
General and Administrative Expense																							187,672		176,066				$ 388,841	375,474
Professional Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic Renewal Period																													1 year
EchoStar XVI
Related Party Transactions
Extension of initial term																1 year
Agreement term from commencement of service date																	4 years
Term of renewal option																	5 years
Additional term of renewal option																	5 years
XIP Encryption Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Additional term of renewal option			1 year	1 year
Gilbert Lease Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Term of renewal option													1 year
Number of successive one year renewal options | item																																		3
Inverness Lease Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Lease Termination Notice Period																													6 months
Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																													1 year
Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																													180 days
Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Percentage of economic interest in the Hughes Retail Group					80.00%
Percentage of economic interest in the Hughes Retail Group					80.00%
gTLD Agreement [Member]
Related Party Transactions
Amount paid to related party																								$ 1,000
Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Ownership percentage													90.00%
Voting interest (as a percent)													100.00%
Non voting interest													10.00%
Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar | Sling TV Holding L L C
Related Party Transactions
Ownership percentage							67.00%
EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Trade accounts receivable																							19,000						$ 19,000		23,000
Trade accounts payable																							342,000						342,000		$ 281,000
Equipment sales and other revenue																							1,000		13,000				1,000	26,000
Satellite and transmission expenses																							169,000		185,000				336,000	362,000
Subscriber-related expenses																							26,000		24,000				52,000	48,000
General and Administrative Expense																							25,000		24,000				$ 47,000	44,000
EchoStar | Sling TV Holding L L C
Related Party Transactions
Number Of Day Following The Fifth Anniversary Of The Exchange Agreement At When The Fair Value Of Interest Can Be Redeemed													60 days
Non voting interest																																		10.00%
EchoStar | Remanufactured Receiver Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination of agreement by related party																													60 days
EchoStar | Professional Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum notice period for termination of a specific service																																30 days
Agreement term																																1 year
EchoStar | Professional Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																																60 days
EchoStar | EchoStar VIII
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement															30 days
EchoStar | 2012 Broadcast Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity								60 days
EchoStar | Certain Sports Related Programming Broadcast Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																					10 years
EchoStar | Nimiq 5 Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																																15 years
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services | item																																32
EchoStar | DISH Nimiq 5 Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																																10 years
Number of DBS transponders currently used | item																																32
EchoStar | QuetzSat-1 Lease Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term from commencement of service date																																	10 years
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services | item																																	32
EchoStar | QuetzSat-1 Transponder Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Number of DBS transponders currently used | item																																	24
Number of transponders subleased | item																										5
EchoStar | 103 degree orbital location member
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																		10 years
Agreement term from commencement of service date														10 years
EchoStar | 2012 TT&C Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																			60 days
EchoStar | Application Development Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																											1 year
Notice period for termination of agreement																											90 days
EchoStar | XIP Encryption Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination of agreement by related party																												180 days
Term of renewal option																												1 year
Notice period to exercise option to extend agreement																												180 days
EchoStar | XIP Encryption Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																												30 days
EchoStar | 2012 Receiver Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Purchased set-top boxes and other equipment from EchoStar																							183,000		193,000				$ 430,000	416,000
One-time contribution from related party toward the settlement												$ 5,000
EchoStar | 2012 Receiver Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																			60 days
EchoStar | Product Support Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																													60 days
EchoStar | DISH Online.com Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																						1 year
Agreement term											2 years
Term of renewal option exercised		1 year
EchoStar | DISH Online.com Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																						120 days
EchoStar | DISH Remote Access Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period										1 year
Additional renewal period	1 year
Agreement term										5 years
EchoStar | DISH Remote Access Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity										120 days
EchoStar | Sling Service Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period	1 year
Agreement term										5 years
EchoStar | Sling Service Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity										120 days
EchoStar | Patent Cross-License Agreements | Maximum
Related Party Transactions
Payments to third party by related party under extension option																				$ 3,000
Payments to third party																				$ 10,000
EchoStar | El Paso Lease Agreement (Member)
Related Party Transactions
Term of renewal option																													3 years
Number of consecutive three year renewal options | item																													4
EchoStar | EchoStar XV
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement															30 days
EchoStar | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Historical cost of tracking stock						$ 229,000
EchoStar | Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Noncontrolling Interest Percentage													33.30%
Noncontrolling interests													$ 6,000
Non Voting Interest Value													$ 14,000
HNS | Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Broadband equipment purchased from related parties																							$ 2,000		$ 3,000				$ 5,000	$ 4,000
EchoStar and HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction
Related Party Transactions
Transfer of liabilities and other					$ 59,000	59,000
Capital transaction						356,000
Cash in exchange for shares of series of preferred tracking stock issued					$ 11,000	11,000
Capital transaction recorded in additional paid-in capital						$ 51,000
EchoStar and HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Tracking stock prohibited transfer period					1 year
EchoStar and HSSC | Investor Rights Agreement | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Tracking stock prohibited transfer period						1 year
HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Historical cost of tracking stock						$ 87,000
DISH Network | TiVo vs Dish Network and EchoStar Corporation
Related Party Transactions
Aggregate of six annual installment amounts between 2012 and 2017									$ 200,000
Estimated percentage of annual future payments payable by the company									95.00%
Settlement amount									$ 500,000
Initial settlement amount paid									$ 300,000
Litigation settlement number of annual installments | item									6
Contribution from related party									$ 10,000