Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar XVI	Jun. 30, 2013 DISH Online.com Services Agreement item	Jun. 30, 2013 Blockbuster, Wireless Spectrum and Other Segments	Jun. 30, 2012 Blockbuster, Wireless Spectrum and Other Segments	Jun. 30, 2013 Blockbuster, Wireless Spectrum and Other Segments	Jun. 30, 2012 Blockbuster, Wireless Spectrum and Other Segments	Dec. 02, 2012 Dish Network	Oct. 02, 2012 Dish Network	Dec. 31, 2012 Dish Network	Apr. 29, 2011 EchoStar TiVo v. Dish Network and EchoStar Corporation item	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Remanufactured Receiver Agreement	May 31, 2010 EchoStar Certain Sports Related Programming Broadcast Agreement	Dec. 21, 2012 EchoStar EchoStar XVI	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar EchoStar XVI	Dec. 31, 2009 EchoStar EchoStar XVI	Dec. 31, 2009 EchoStar DISH Nimiq 5 Agreement item	Sep. 30, 2012 EchoStar QuetzSat-1 Lease Agreement item	Dec. 31, 2008 EchoStar QuetzSat-1 Lease Agreement item	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar TT&C Agreement	Jan. 31, 2012 EchoStar Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2012 EchoStar Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2012 EchoStar Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Inverness Lease Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Santa Fe Lease Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Gilbert Lease Agreement	Nov. 30, 2012 EchoStar DISH Online.com Services Agreement	Jan. 31, 2010 EchoStar DISH Online.com Services Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar DISH Online.com Services Agreement	Feb. 23, 2010 EchoStar DISH Remote Access Services Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar DISH Remote Access Services Agreement	Feb. 23, 2010 EchoStar Sling Service Services Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Sling Service Services Agreement	Sep. 30, 2010 EchoStar RUS Implementation Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar RUS Implementation Agreement	Jun. 30, 2012 EchoStar RUS Implementation Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar RUS Implementation Agreement	Jun. 30, 2012 EchoStar RUS Implementation Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Application Development Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar XiP Encryption Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Service agreement to lease certain satellite capacity	May 31, 2012 EchoStar 103 degree orbital location member	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar 103 degree orbital location member	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar El Paso Lease Agreement item	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Minimum Broadcast Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Minimum Receiver Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Minimum Product Support Agreement	Jan. 31, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Professional Services Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Professional Services Agreement	Jan. 31, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Management Services Agreement	Jun. 14, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Management Services Agreement	Dec. 31, 2008 EchoStar Dish Network Varick Sublease Agreement	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Tax Sharing Agreement	Dec. 31, 2011 EchoStar Dish Network Maximum Patent Cross-License Agreements	Jun. 30, 2013 EchoStar Dish Network Maximum Patent Cross-License Agreements	Jun. 30, 2013 NagraStar	Jun. 30, 2012 NagraStar	Jun. 30, 2013 NagraStar	Jun. 30, 2012 NagraStar	Dec. 31, 2012 NagraStar	Jun. 30, 2013 Blockbuster, Inc.	Jun. 30, 2012 Blockbuster, Inc.	Jun. 30, 2013 Blockbuster, Inc.	Jun. 30, 2012 Blockbuster, Inc.	May 31, 2013 EchoStar XV EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Distribution to DOC of the assets and liabilities associated with satellite broadband business													$ 66,000,000
Net satellite broadband assets distributed to DISH Network													9,000,000
Deemed dividend													57,000,000
Dividend declared (in dollars per share)												$ 1.00
Aggregate dividend declared (in dollars per share)												453,000,000
Dividend paid to DOC														850,000,000
Subscriber-related expenses																																																																			4,000,000	5,000,000	8,000,000	10,000,000
Expenses from transactions with related party								2,000,000	2,000,000	5,000,000	4,000,000																																																			24,547,000	17,355,000	46,566,000	34,839,000
Minimum required notice period for termination of agreement by related party																60 days																														180 days											30 days
Automatic renewal period																																					1 year		1 year						1 year									1 year		1 year
Minimum notice period for termination of agreement																																30 days													90 days	30 days									60 days		180 days
Term of renewal option exercised																																	1 year
Required notice for termination of individual service																																																						30 days
Number of consecutive three year renewal options																																																		4
Term of renewal option						6 years													6 years									1 year			1 year															1 year				3 years
Purchased of set-top boxes and other equipment																										309,000,000	253,000,000	606,000,000	491,000,000
Net amount of the allocated tax attributes payable																																																											83,000,000
Settlement amount															500,000,000
Initial settlement amount paid															300,000,000
Aggregate of six annual installment amounts between 2012 and 2017, net of contribution from related party															200,000,000
Litigation settlement, number of annual installments															6
Contribution from related party															10,000,000
Maximum grants receivable																																								14,000,000
Percentage of litigation settlement amount to be made by related party annually															95.00%
Required notice period for termination of agreement by the reporting entity																								60 days											120 days		120 days		120 days	45 days											60 days	60 days	60 days
Cost of sales - equipment, services and other	20,720,000	19,680,000	40,716,000	42,628,000																																					2,000,000	2,000,000	3,000,000	3,000,000
Agreement term																	10 years				10 years													2 years		5 years		5 years										10 years						1 year		1 year		7 years
Agreement term from commencement of service date																		4 years		10 years																											10 years		10 years
Agreement term with third party																					15 years		10 years
Number of transponders subleased																						5
Notice period required to extend the agreement term																									180 days																					180 days
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services																					32
Number of DBS transponders available for related party to receive services																					32		32
Number of DBS transponders expected to receive services																							24
Required notice period for termination of agreement																														6 months
Payments to third party by related party																																																												10,000,000
Payments to third party by related party under extension option																																																													3,000,000
Amounts Payable and Commitments	$ 311,345,000		$ 311,345,000		$ 262,843,000																																																									$ 20,188,000		$ 20,188,000		$ 21,930,000
Additional term of renewal option																			5 years																																																				3 years
Number of successive one year renewal options							3