Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Minimum
Marketable Investment Securities
The length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value would be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine if the decline in value is other-than-temporary	6 months
Length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value is considered other-than-temporary	9 months
Property and Equipment
Useful life of property and equipment	1 year
Revenue Recognition
Period of deferral for the portion of subscriber fees that are deferred	4 years
Maximum
Marketable Investment Securities
Length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value is considered as temporary	6 months
The length of time an investment has been in a continuous loss position in which the decline in value would be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine if the decline in value is other-than-temporary	9 months
Property and Equipment
Useful life of property and equipment	40 years
Long-Term Deferred Revenue, Distribution and Carriage Payments
Deferred upfront payment, amortization period	10 years
Revenue Recognition
Period of deferral for the portion of subscriber fees that are deferred	5 years
Sling TV Holding LLC \| EchoStar
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Ownership percentage owned by noncontrolling owners	10.00%
Number of days following the fifth anniversary of the Exchange Agreement to redeem	60 days

Deferred subscriber fees deferral period.

No definition available.

Name:	ddbs_DeferredSubscriberFeesDeferralPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Deferred upfront payments amortization period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ddbs_DeferredUpfrontPaymentsAmortizationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Length of time investment been in continuous loss position considered temporary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ddbs_LengthOfTimeInvestmentBeenInContinuousLossPositionConsideredTemporary
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Length of time investment been in continuous loss position evaluated on case by case basis.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ddbs_LengthOfTimeInvestmentBeenInContinuousLossPositionEvaluatedOnCaseByCaseBasis
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Length of time investment been in continuous loss position to be considered as other than temporary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ddbs_LengthOfTimeInvestmentBeenInContinuousLossPositionToBeConsideredAsOtherThanTemporary
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ddbs_LongTermDeferredRevenueDistributionAndCarriagePaymentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of days following the fifth anniversary of the Exchange Agreement for which the noncontrolling owners can redeem their noncontrolling interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ddbs_NoncontrollingInterestPeriodToRedeemFollowingFifthAnniversaryByNoncontrollingOwners
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Definition

The equity interest of noncontrolling shareholders, partners or other equity holders in consolidated entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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

- Definition

Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: