Business Segments (Summarized Financial Information Concerning the Company's Reportable Segments) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues	$ 1,539,549,000	$ 1,514,845,000	$ 1,442,227,000	$ 1,289,047,000	$ 1,280,041,000	$ 1,237,910,000	$ 1,174,375,000	$ 1,079,190,000	$ 5,785,668,000	$ 4,771,516,000	$ 4,100,048,000
Segment operating expenses									1,787,951,000	1,306,815,000	1,092,428,000
Segment gross margin									4,008,677,000	3,475,910,000	3,018,167,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									329,900,000	287,895,000	263,488,000
Segment operating profit									3,678,777,000	3,188,015,000	2,754,679,000
Stock-based compensation expense									89,898,000	90,537,000	80,153,000.000
Repayments of Long-term Debt, Long-term Capital Lease Obligations, and Capital Securities									5,093,747,000	6,393,405,000	3,903,144,000
Other selling, general, administrative and development expense									126,035,000	121,456,000	104,738,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									1,525,635,000	1,285,328,000	1,003,802,000
Other expense									811,349,000	860,732,000	700,282,000
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									1,125,860,000	829,962,000	865,704,000
Amount previously recorded as segment selling, general and administrative expense											7,900,000
Capital expenditures									701,387,000	728,753,000	974,404,000
Repayment of capital lease for capital expenditures									18,900,000
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									3,442,575,000	3,248,629,000	2,732,984,000
Corporate, Non-Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense											80,153,000
Other selling, general, administrative and development expense											104,738,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion											1,003,802,000
Other expense											700,282,000
Capital expenditures									16,439,000	17,252,000	24,146,000
Operating Segments | Property
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									5,713,126,000	4,680,388,000	4,006,854,000
Segment operating expenses									1,760,944,000	1,273,822,000	1,054,780,000
Segment gross margin									3,963,142,000	3,417,775,000	2,962,621,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									317,390,000	272,171,000	251,019,000
Segment operating profit									3,645,752,000	3,145,604,000	2,711,602,000
Capital expenditures									684,948,000	711,501,000	950,258,000
Operating Segments | Property | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									3,370,033,000	3,157,501,000	2,639,790,000
Segment operating expenses									733,403,000	678,499,000	515,742,000
Segment gross margin									2,636,630,000	2,479,002,000	2,124,048,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									147,559,000	138,617,000	124,944,000
Segment operating profit									2,489,071,000	2,340,385,000	1,999,104,000
Capital expenditures									310,744,000	367,663,000	576,153,000
Operating Segments | Property | Asia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									827,627,000	242,223,000	219,566,000
Segment operating expenses									465,938,000	126,874,000	121,797,000
Segment gross margin									361,689,000	115,349,000	97,769,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									48,238,000	22,771,000	19,632,000
Segment operating profit									313,451,000	92,578,000	78,137,000
Capital expenditures									115,508,000	75,407,000	74,334,000
Operating Segments | Property | EMEA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									529,531,000	395,092,000	315,053,000
Segment operating expenses									223,716,000	163,820,000	126,714,000
Segment gross margin									305,815,000	231,272,000	188,339,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									60,903,000	48,672,000	39,553,000
Segment operating profit									244,912,000	182,600,000	148,786,000
Capital expenditures									86,128,000	66,625,000	70,126,000
Operating Segments | Property | Latin America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									985,935,000	885,572,000	832,445,000
Segment operating expenses									337,887,000	304,629,000	290,527,000
Segment gross margin									659,008,000	592,152,000	552,465,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									60,690,000	62,111,000	66,890,000
Segment operating profit									598,318,000	530,041,000	485,575,000
Capital expenditures									172,568,000	201,806,000	229,645,000
Operating Segments | Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment revenues									72,542,000	91,128,000	93,194,000
Segment operating expenses									27,007,000	32,993,000	37,648,000
Segment gross margin									45,535,000	58,135,000	55,546,000
Segment selling, general, administrative and development expense									12,510,000	15,724,000	12,469,000
Segment operating profit									33,025,000	42,411,000	43,077,000
Capital expenditures									0	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense									89,898,000	90,537,000
Other selling, general, administrative and development expense									126,035,000	121,456,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion									1,525,635,000	1,285,328,000
Other expense									811,349,000	860,732,000
Selling General Administrative And Development Expense
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense									87,460,000	88,484,000	78,316,000
Operating Expense
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense									2,400,000	2,100,000	1,800,000
TV Azteca
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									10,960,000	11,209,000	10,547,000
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Property
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									10,960,000	11,209,000	10,547,000
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Property | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									0	0	0
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Property | Asia
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									0	0	0
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Property | EMEA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									0	0	0
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Property | Latin America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									10,960,000	11,209,000	10,547,000
TV Azteca | Operating Segments | Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest income, TV Azteca, net of interest expense of $1,163, $820 and $1,482, respectively									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0