Income Taxes (Notes)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Substantially all of the Company’s operations are held through Charter Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Charter Holdings and the majority of its subsidiaries are limited liability companies that are generally not subject to income tax. However, certain of these limited liability companies are subject to state income tax. In addition, the subsidiaries that are corporations are subject to income tax. Generally, the taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of Charter Holdings are passed through to its members, Charter and A/N. Charter is responsible for its share of taxable income or loss of Charter Holdings allocated to it in accordance with the Charter Holdings Limited Liability Company Agreement (“LLC Agreement”) and partnership tax rules and regulations. As a result, Charter's primary deferred tax component recorded in the consolidated balance sheets relates to its excess financial reporting outside basis, excluding amounts attributable to nondeductible goodwill, over Charter's tax basis in the investment in Charter Holdings. The Company recorded income tax expense of $41 million and $69 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, and $48 million and $73 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. Income tax expense decreased year over year as a result of the impacts of federal tax reform and state tax rate changes offset by higher pretax income and lower excess tax benefits from share-based compensation. The Company has reported provisional amounts for the income tax effects of Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (“Tax Reform”) for which the accounting is incomplete but a reasonable estimate could be determined. There were no specific impacts of Tax Reform that could not be reasonably estimated which the Company accounted for under prior tax law. Based on a continued analysis of the estimates and further guidance on the application of the law, it is anticipated that additional revisions may occur throughout the allowable measurement period. Charter Holdings, the indirect owner of the Company’s cable systems, generally allocates its taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits proportionately according to the members’ respective ownership interests, except for special allocations required under Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury Regulations (“Section 704(c)”). Pursuant to Section 704(c) and the LLC Agreement, each item of income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property contributed to the capital of the partnership shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the members so as to take into account any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its initial gross asset value using the “traditional method” as described in the Treasury Regulations. In determining the Company’s tax provision for financial reporting purposes, the Company establishes a reserve for uncertain tax positions unless such positions are determined to be “more likely than not” of being sustained upon examination, based on their technical merits. There is considerable judgment involved in making such a determination. The Company has recorded unrecognized tax benefits totaling approximately $156 million and $164 million, excluding interest and penalties, as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The Company does not currently anticipate that its reserve for uncertain tax positions will significantly increase or decrease during 2018; however, various events could cause the Company’s current expectations to change in the future. These uncertain tax positions, if ever recognized in the financial statements, would be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as part of the income tax provision. No tax years for Charter or Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC for income tax purposes, are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). Charter's 2016 and 2017 tax years remain open for examination and assessment. Charter’s tax years ending 2014 through the short period return dated May 17, 2016 (prior to the acquisition of TWC and Bright House) remain subject to examination and assessment. Years prior to 2014 remain open solely for purposes of examination of Charter’s loss and credit carryforwards. The IRS is currently examining Charter Holdings’ income tax return for 2016. Charter Holdings’ 2017 tax year remains open for examination. The IRS is currently examining TWC’s income tax returns for 2011 through 2014. TWC’s tax year 2015 remains subject to examination and assessment. Prior to TWC’s separation from Time Warner Inc. (“Time Warner”) in March 2009 (the “Separation”), TWC was included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state income tax returns of Time Warner. The IRS is currently examining Time Warner’s 2008 through 2010 income tax returns. The Company does not anticipate that these examinations will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. In addition, the Company is also subject to ongoing examinations of the Company’s tax returns by state and local tax authorities for various periods. Activity related to these state and local examinations did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, nor does the Company anticipate a material impact in the future.

Income Taxes

Substantially all of the Company’s operations are held through Charter Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Charter Holdings and the majority of its subsidiaries are limited liability companies that are generally not subject to income tax. However, certain of these limited liability companies are subject to state income tax. In addition, the subsidiaries that are corporations are subject to income tax. Generally, the taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of Charter Holdings are passed through to its members, Charter and A/N. Charter is responsible for its share of taxable income or loss of Charter Holdings allocated to it in accordance with the Charter Holdings Limited Liability Company Agreement (“LLC Agreement”) and partnership tax rules and regulations. As a result, Charter's primary deferred tax component recorded in the consolidated balance sheets relates to its excess financial reporting outside basis, excluding amounts attributable to nondeductible goodwill, over Charter's tax basis in the investment in Charter Holdings.

The Company recorded income tax expense of $41 million and $69 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, and $48 million and $73 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. Income tax expense decreased year over year as a result of the impacts of federal tax reform and state tax rate changes offset by higher pretax income and lower excess tax benefits from share-based compensation.

The Company has reported provisional amounts for the income tax effects of Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (“Tax Reform”) for which the accounting is incomplete but a reasonable estimate could be determined. There were no specific impacts of Tax Reform that could not be reasonably estimated which the Company accounted for under prior tax law. Based on a continued analysis of the estimates and further guidance on the application of the law, it is anticipated that additional revisions may occur throughout the allowable measurement period.

Charter Holdings, the indirect owner of the Company’s cable systems, generally allocates its taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits proportionately according to the members’ respective ownership interests, except for special allocations required under Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury Regulations (“Section 704(c)”). Pursuant to Section 704(c) and the LLC Agreement, each item of income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property contributed to the capital of the partnership shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the members so as to take into account any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its initial gross asset value using the “traditional method” as described in the Treasury Regulations.

In determining the Company’s tax provision for financial reporting purposes, the Company establishes a reserve for uncertain tax positions unless such positions are determined to be “more likely than not” of being sustained upon examination, based on their technical merits. There is considerable judgment involved in making such a determination. The Company has recorded unrecognized tax benefits totaling approximately $156 million and $164 million, excluding interest and penalties, as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The Company does not currently anticipate that its reserve for uncertain tax positions will significantly increase or decrease during 2018; however, various events could cause the Company’s current expectations to change in the future. These uncertain tax positions, if ever recognized in the financial statements, would be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as part of the income tax provision.

No tax years for Charter or Charter Communications Holding Company, LLC for income tax purposes, are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). Charter's 2016 and 2017 tax years remain open for examination and assessment. Charter’s tax years ending 2014 through the short period return dated May 17, 2016 (prior to the acquisition of TWC and Bright House) remain subject to examination and assessment. Years prior to 2014 remain open solely for purposes of examination of Charter’s loss and credit carryforwards. The IRS is currently examining Charter Holdings’ income tax return for 2016. Charter Holdings’ 2017 tax year remains open for examination. The IRS is currently examining TWC’s income tax returns for 2011 through 2014. TWC’s tax year 2015 remains subject to examination and assessment. Prior to TWC’s separation from Time Warner Inc. (“Time Warner”) in March 2009 (the “Separation”), TWC was included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state income tax returns of Time Warner. The IRS is currently examining Time Warner’s 2008 through 2010 income tax returns. The Company does not anticipate that these examinations will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. In addition, the Company is also subject to ongoing examinations of the Company’s tax returns by state and local tax authorities for various periods. Activity related to these state and local examinations did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, nor does the Company anticipate a material impact in the future.