Commitments and Contingencies - Part 2 (Details)									1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	24 Months Ended
	Sep. 27, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 05, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2017 USD ($)	May 22, 2017 $ / item	Sep. 23, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 22, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 18, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 23, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 12, 2019 patent	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 05, 2017 USD ($)
Loss contingencies
Network Development Future Expenditures												$ 10,000,000,000
Loss contingency terms
Number Of Patents | patent														2
Turner Network Sales, Inc.
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount			$ 183,000,000
Payment For License Fee	$ 20,000,000
Minimum
Loss contingencies
Wireless Projects Future Expenditures												500,000,000
Maximum
Loss contingencies
Wireless Projects Future Expenditures												$ 1,000,000,000.0
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 Spectrum And SNR Holdco | SNR Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit							25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit												25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit					25.00%
Recovery amount					$ 10,000,000,000
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
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | Northstar Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit							$ 1,961,000,000
SNR Wireless or SNR Wireless Holdco | SNR Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit							$ 1,370,000,000
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									$ 1,000,000,000.0
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
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation
Loss contingencies
Damages awarded to state and federal plaintiff																$ 280,000,000
Litigation Expense										$ 255,000,000			$ 25,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual												$ 280,000,000			$ 280,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Do Not Call Litigation
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff												23,500,000,000
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount								$ 270,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from federal plaintiff												$ 900,000,000