Represents the number of subscribers of pay tv services.

No definition available.

Name:	dish_NumberOfSubscribersForPayTVServices
Namespace Prefix:	dish_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of common stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Portion of equity (net assets) in a variable interest entity (VIE) not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the parent entity. That is, this is the portion of equity in a VIE that is attributable to the noncontrolling interest (previously referred to as minority interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestInVariableInterestEntity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfInvestmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of additional shares authorized for issuance under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfAdditionalSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=dish_SlingTVHoldingLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=dish_EchoStarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=dish_MasterTransactionAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=dish_EchoStarAndEchoStarBbsCorporationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_DishTvMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_WirelessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Organization and Business Activities (Details) $ / shares in Units, item in Thousands, $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended	84 Months Ended	138 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) item segment $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) item $ / shares	May 19, 2019 $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares
Spectrum Investments
Number of primary operating business units \| segment	2
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| $	12,032		12,032
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)	$ 86.08		$ 86.08
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets \| $		$ 11,000,000	$ 21,000,000
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries \| $	$ 10,000,000		$ 10,000,000
Class A common stock
Spectrum Investments
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Class B common stock
Spectrum Investments
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Sling TV Holding L.L.C.
Spectrum Investments
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item	2,472		2,472
EchoStar \| Master Transaction Agreement \| Class A common stock
Spectrum Investments
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)				$ 0.001
EchoStar \| Master Transaction Agreement \| Class B common stock
Spectrum Investments
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)				0.001
Newco \| Class A common stock
Spectrum Investments
Number of additional shares \| shares	22,937,188
Newco \| Master Transaction Agreement
Spectrum Investments
Common stock par value (in dollars per share)				$ 0.001
Dish TV
Spectrum Investments
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item	9,560		9,560
Wireless
Spectrum Investments
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets \| $			$ 11,000,000
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco
Spectrum Investments
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries \| $	$ 10,000		$ 10,000		$ 10,000,000