Commitments and Contingencies - Part 2 (Details)								3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		24 Months Ended
	Apr. 05, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2017 USD ($)	May 22, 2017 $ / item	Jan. 19, 2017 USD ($) item	Sep. 23, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 18, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 23, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 05, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2011 USD ($)
Loss contingencies
Litigation Expense											$ 295,695,000
Turner Network Sales, Inc.
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount		$ 183,000,000
Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Recovery amount					$ 10,000,000,000
Satellite transponder guarantees
Loss contingencies
Guarantees for payments										$ 69,000,000
Litigation accrual										$ 0
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit						25.00%
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco | AWS-3 Licenses
Loss contingencies
Interim Build-out Requirement (as a percent)										40.00%
Final Build-out Requirement (as a percent)										75.00%
Accelerated period to meet Final Build-Out Requirement on failure to meet Interim Build-Out Requirement										2 years
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit						$ 1,961,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit					25.00%					25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit					$ 3,300,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Minimum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount					5,500
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Maximum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount					$ 11,000
SNR Wireless or SNR Wireless Holdco
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit						$ 1,370,000,000
Lightsquared Harbinger Capital Partners LLC
Loss contingencies
Business days allowed to terminate existing agreements										3 days
Telemarketing Litigation
Loss contingencies
Period of injunctive relief sought from placing any outbound telemarketing calls to market or promote its goods or services										5 years
Telemarketing Litigation | OHIO
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount										$ 10,000,000
Telemarketing Litigation | CALIFORNIA
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff										$ 100,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation
Loss contingencies
Period of injunctive relief sought from placing any outbound telemarketing calls to market or promote its goods or services										5 years
Period barred from making outbound telemarketing calls										2 years
Number Of Telemarketing Calls | item				51,119
Litigation Per Call Damages				$ 400
Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum | Illinois And North Carolina [Member]
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff										$ 1,000,000,000
Krakauer Action
Loss contingencies
Litigation Expense								$ 41,000,000	$ 20,000,000
Third party Number Of Calls Made In Case Trebled Damages Per Call | $ / item			1,200
Settlement amount awarded to other party	$ 61,000,000
Krakauer Action | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual										61,000,000
TiVo vs Dish Network and EchoStar Corporation | DISH Network
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual														$ 200,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff										23,500,000,000
Damages awarded to state and federal plaintiff													$ 280,000,000
Litigation Expense								$ 255,000,000				$ 25,000,000
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount							$ 270,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual										280,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation | Maximum
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from federal plaintiff										$ 900,000,000