Property and Equipment and Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Property and equipment
Depreciation and amortization expense		$ 953,146,000	$ 1,000,048,000	$ 1,077,936,000
Impairment of long-lived assets			123,352,000
Number of other satellites to be relocated in the event of failure or loss of any satellite | item		1
Wireless
Property and equipment
Depreciation and amortization expense		$ 43,860,000	44,299,000	71,854,000
DISH Network
Property and equipment
Depreciation and amortization expense		$ 909,286,000	955,749,000	1,006,082,000
AWS-4 Satellites
Property and equipment
Number of satellites in-orbit | item		2
Number of satellites under construction | item		1
Satellites
Property and equipment
Depreciation and amortization expense		$ 96,965,000	87,827,000	$ 95,766,000
Number of satellites utilized in geostationary orbit approximately 22,300 miles above the equator | item		13
Owned Satellites | item		2
Number of satellites utilized under operating lease | item		9
Number of satellites utilized under capital lease | item		2
EchoStar XV
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		15 years
EchoStar XVI
Property and equipment
Term of renewal option		5 years
Additional term of renewal option		5 years
EchoStar XVIII
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		15 years
T1
Property and equipment
Estimated Useful Life		15 years
Net book value of long-lived assets		$ 272,000,000
D1
Property and equipment
Net book value of long-lived assets before impairment		55,000,000	150,000,000
Net book value of long-lived assets		55,000,000
D1 Ground Equipment [Member]
Property and equipment
Net book value of long-lived assets		$ 0	$ 28,000,000
T2 satellite | T2 Development Agreement | EchoStar
Property and equipment
Selling rights to use equipments to related party	$ 55,000,000