Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Other Investment Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Feb. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents and Other Investment Securities:
Trading	$ 93,367
Other	92,146		$ 3,833
Total current marketable investment securities	185,513		3,833
Restricted marketable investment securities(1)	72,014		81,679
Total marketable investment securities	257,527		85,512
Restricted cash and cash equivalents (1)	393		681
Other investment securities - equity method	113,460		25,098
Other investment securities - cost method			8,150
Total other investment securities	113,460		33,248
Total marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalents, and other investment securities	371,380		$ 119,441
Marketable investment securities - unrealized gains (losses) on trading securities	$ 85,217
Maximum maturities of commercial paper	365 days
Maximum maturities of corporate securities	18 months
Marketable investment securities - unrealized gains (losses) on trading securities	$ 85,217
NagraStar L.L.C
Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents and Other Investment Securities:
Interest on equity method investment		50.00%

Maximum maturities of commercial paper.

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Maximum maturities of corporate securities.

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Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalent and other investment securities.

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Amount, after adjustment, of cost-method investment. Adjustments include, but are not limited to, dividends received in excess of earnings after date of investment that are considered a return of investment and other than temporary impairments.

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The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale.

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Amount of investments in debt and equity securities, including, but not limited to, held-to-maturity, trading and available-for-sale expected to be converted to cash, sold or exchanged within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale which are intended to be held for greater than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer and that are pledged to one or more secured parties who have the right to buy, sell, or re-pledge the collateral.

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The aggregate net change in the difference between the fair value and the carrying value, or in the comparative fair values, of marketable securities categorized as trading held at each balance sheet date, that was included in earnings for the period, which may have arisen from (a) securities classified as trading, (b) the unrealized holding gain (loss) on held-to-maturity securities transferred to the trading security category, and (c) the cumulative unrealized gain (loss) which was included in other comprehensive income (a separate component of shareholders' equity) on available-for-sale securities transferred to trading securities during the period.

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Amount of investments classified as other.

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Amount of other investments not classified as trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity, expected to be converted to cash, sold or exchanged within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Amount of cash and cash equivalents restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Cash includes, but is not limited to, currency on hand, demand deposits with banks or financial institutions, and other accounts with general characteristics of demand deposits. Cash equivalents include, but are not limited to, short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

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Amount of investments in debt and equity securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests classified as trading.

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