Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended							1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Dish awards	Dec. 31, 2011 Dish awards Class A common stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Dish awards Class A common stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Dish awards Class B common stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Long-Term Performance Based Plans	Sep. 30, 2011 Long-Term Performance Based Plans	Sep. 30, 2012 Long-Term Performance Based Plans	Sep. 30, 2011 Long-Term Performance Based Plans	Sep. 30, 2012 2005 LTIP	Dec. 31, 2005 2005 LTIP	Sep. 30, 2012 2005 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 2005 LTIP Echostar awards	Sep. 30, 2012 The 2008 LTIP	Sep. 30, 2011 The 2008 LTIP	Sep. 30, 2012 The 2008 LTIP	Sep. 30, 2011 The 2008 LTIP	Sep. 30, 2012 The 2008 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Other Employee Performance Awards	Sep. 30, 2011 Other Employee Performance Awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Other Employee Performance Awards	Sep. 30, 2011 Other Employee Performance Awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Other Employee Performance Awards Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 2012 Stock Option Adjustment	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options Maximum	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Maximum	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options Maximum	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Minimum	Sep. 30, 2011 Stock Options Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Dish awards	Jan. 02, 2008 Stock Options Dish awards multiplicationfactor	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Dish awards Maximum	Jan. 31, 2008 Stock Options Echostar awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Echostar awards	Jan. 02, 2008 Stock Options Echostar awards multiplicationfactor	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Long-Term Performance Based Plans Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options 2005 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options The 2008 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options Other Employee Performance Awards Dish awards	Jan. 31, 2012 Stock Options 2012 Stock Option Adjustment Dish awards employee	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units Echostar awards	Jan. 02, 2008 Restricted Stock Units Echostar awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units Long-Term Performance Based Plans	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units Long-Term Performance Based Plans Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units 2005 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units The 2008 LTIP Dish awards	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units Other Employee Performance Awards Dish awards
Stock-Based Compensation
Expiration term (in years)																																								10 years
Percentage of stock awards vesting per year (as a percent)					20% per year
Common stock available for future grant under stock incentive plans (in shares)							72,700,000
Cash dividend (in dollars per share)						$ 2.00		$ 2.00
Number of stock options subject to an exercise price change in connection with the Stock Option Adjustment (in shares)																																																17,300,000
Number of employees affected by stock option adjustment																																																400
Reduction in exercise price due to dividend declaration (in dollars per share)																																																$ 2.00
Stock option converted into new stock options (in shares)																																							2
Multiplication factor for conversion of original stock option to new stock option																																							0.831219				0.843907
Portion of the number of shares that were exercisable under the original option needed to receive a new stock option (as a percent)																																									one-fifth
One Echostar restricted stock unit converted into new Dish Network restricted stock units (in shares)																																																			5
Stock option activity
Total options outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)																																						17,640,074				673,670		6,411,500	1,878,500	1,533,000	3,000,000
Granted (in shares)																																						549,500
Exercised (in shares)																																						(2,979,069)
Forfeited and cancelled (in shares)																																						(873,396)
Total options outstanding, end of period (in shares)																																						14,337,109				673,670		6,411,500	1,878,500	1,533,000	3,000,000
Exercisable at end of period (in shares)																																						5,235,808
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Total options outstanding, beginning of period (in dollars per share)																																						$ 20.38						$ 18.71	$ 21.60	$ 10.37	$ 21.16
Granted (in dollars per share)																																						$ 32.02
Exercised (in dollars per share)																																						$ 17.73
Forfeited and cancelled (in dollars per share)																																						$ 20.31
Total options outstanding, end of period (in dollars per share)																																						$ 19.06						$ 18.71	$ 21.60	$ 10.37	$ 21.16
Exercisable at end of period (in shares)																																						$ 18.14
Aggregate intrinsic value
Options outstanding																																						$ 167,130
Options exercisable																																						65,752
Restricted stock units
Total restricted stock units outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)																																																	1,179,709	42,954		0	1,081,748	211,498	10,250	860,000
Vested (in shares)																																																	(24,795)
Forfeited and cancelled (in shares)																																																	(73,166)
Total restricted stock units outstanding, end of period (in shares)																																																	1,081,748	42,954		0	1,081,748	211,498	10,250	860,000
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value
Total restricted stock units outstanding, beginning of period (in dollars per share)																																																	$ 23.11				$ 22.86
Vested (in dollars per share)																																																	$ 22.94
Forfeited and cancelled (in dollars per share)																																																	$ 26.96
Total restricted stock units outstanding, end of period (in dollars per share)																																																	$ 22.86				$ 22.86
2005 LTIP Terms
Vesting period														7 years
Percentage awards vesting per annum during first four years														10.00%
Percentage awards vesting per annum after first four years														20.00%
Unrecognized non-cash stock-based compensation expense
Total													36,722		31,114	5,608
Vested Portion													32,968		27,846	5,122
Share-based compensation additional disclosures
Tax benefit from stock awards exercised																												3,342	612	14,872	7,021
Portion vested (as a percent)																	70.00%		70.00%
Remaining portion to meet vesting condition (as a percent)																	30.00%		30.00%
Recognized non-cash stock-based compensation expense
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense recognized	6,092	6,392	34,936	25,252					3,497	2,437	15,526	16,724					2,218	2,365	9,675	16,664		1,279	72	5,851	60		13,000
Estimated Remaining Non-Cash, Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Remaining expense estimated to be recognized during 2012																					1,038					738
Estimated contingent expense subsequent to 2012																										46,516
Total estimated expense remaining over the term of plan																					$ 1,038					$ 47,254
Black-Scholes option valuation model, assumptions
Risk free interest rate (as a percent)																												0.78%
Risk free interest rate, low end of range (as a percent)																													0.69%	0.41%	0.69%
Risk free interest rate, high end of range (as a percent)																													1.31%	1.29%	3.18%
Volatility factor (as a percent)																												38.90%
Volatility factor, low end of range (as a percent)																													36.67%	33.15%	31.74%
Volatility factor, high end of range (as a percent)																													44.68%	39.34%	44.68%
Expected term of options																												5 years 9 months 18 days				6 years 6 months	5 years 10 months 24 days	10 years	3 years 10 months 24 days	3 years 1 month 6 days	3 years 10 months 24 days
Weighted-average fair value of options granted (in dollars per share)																												$ 11.44				$ 9.68	$ 12.69	$ 14.77	$ 8.73	$ 6.72	$ 8.73
Dividend yield percentage																														0.00%