Amount of finance lease cost.

No definition available.

Name:	ddbs_FinanceLeaseCost
Namespace Prefix:	ddbs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization for physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.14)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

The minimum amount the entity agreed to spend under the long-term purchase commitment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.13)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

+ 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(14))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(8))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 4: 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(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_EquipmentLeasedToOtherPartyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_EchoStarXVMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_EchostarXVIIIMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_CielIIMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_NimiqFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_SatellitesAcquiredUnderFinanceLeaseAgreementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ddbs_FurnitureFixturesEquipmentAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_LandMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 5,171,638		$ 5,171,638		$ 5,191,840	$ 4,928,675
Accumulated depreciation	(3,509,710)		(3,509,710)		(3,440,267)	(3,550,726)
Property and equipment, net	1,661,928		1,661,928		1,751,573	1,377,949
Finance Lease Cost	16,834	$ 4,904	34,080	$ 12,193	$ 38,960
Minimum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets					2 years
Maximum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets					40 years
Equipment leased to customers
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	1,779,445		$ 1,779,445		$ 1,837,503	1,980,808
Equipment leased to customers \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			2 years		2 years
Equipment leased to customers \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			5 years
EchoStar XV
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	277,658		$ 277,658		$ 277,658	277,658
Depreciable life of assets			15 years		15 years
EchoStar XVIII
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	411,255		$ 411,255		$ 411,255
Depreciable life of assets			15 years		15 years
Incentive obligations					$ 18,000
Ciel II
Property and Equipment
Finance Lease Cost					277,000
Nimiq 5
Property and Equipment
Finance Lease Cost					175,000
Satellites acquired under finance lease agreements
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	398,107		$ 398,107		$ 398,107	499,819
Depreciable life of assets			15 years		15 years
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	1,934,783		$ 1,934,783		$ 1,894,629	1,820,883
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			2 years		2 years
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			20 years
Buildings and improvements
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	294,342		$ 294,342		$ 289,421	289,244
Buildings and improvements \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			5 years		5 years
Buildings and improvements \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Depreciable life of assets			40 years
Land
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	13,186		$ 13,186		$ 13,186	13,186
Construction in progress
Property and Equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 62,862		$ 62,862		$ 70,081	$ 47,077