Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Income Statement) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	$ 668,682	$ 524,554
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	262,173	217,170
Selling, general and administrative	154,579	145,357
Restructuring expense	656	0
Depreciation and amortization	20,527	14,394
Total Operating Expenses	437,935	376,921
Operating income	230,747	147,633
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(32,587)	(31,431)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0
Miscellaneous, net	(10,230)	(5,110)
Total nonoperating income (expense)	(42,817)	(36,541)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	187,930	111,092
Income tax expense	61,254	39,105
Income from continuing operations	126,676	71,987
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	(750)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	126,676	71,237
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,756)	130
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	120,920	71,367
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	(225)	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(206)	0
Selling, general and administrative	2	0
Restructuring expense	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total Operating Expenses	(204)	0
Operating income	(21)	0
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	0	0
Share of affiliates' income	(280,370)	(119,581)
Miscellaneous, net	21	0
Total nonoperating income (expense)	(280,349)	(119,581)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(280,370)	(119,581)
Income tax expense	0	0
Income from continuing operations	(280,370)	(119,581)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	(280,370)	(119,581)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	(280,370)	(119,581)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	0	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0
Restructuring expense	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total Operating Expenses	0	0
Operating income	0	0
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(20,353)	(22,232)
Share of affiliates' income	275,985	123,173
Miscellaneous, net	(76,315)	6,342
Total nonoperating income (expense)	179,317	107,283
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	179,317	107,283
Income tax expense	58,398	35,916
Income from continuing operations	120,919	71,367
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	120,919	71,367
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	120,919	71,367
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	539,444	460,088
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	196,758	181,451
Selling, general and administrative	118,486	126,377
Restructuring expense	114
Depreciation and amortization	8,967	8,209
Total Operating Expenses	324,325	316,037
Operating income	215,119	144,051
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(10,466)	(8,372)
Share of affiliates' income	4,385	(3,592)
Miscellaneous, net	69,315	(6,795)
Total nonoperating income (expense)	63,234	(18,759)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	278,353	125,292
Income tax expense	2,367	2,541
Income from continuing operations	275,986	122,751
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	275,986	122,751
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	422
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	275,986	123,173
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	129,463	64,466
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	65,621	35,719
Selling, general and administrative	36,091	18,980
Restructuring expense	542
Depreciation and amortization	11,560	6,185
Total Operating Expenses	113,814	60,884
Operating income	15,649	3,582
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(1,768)	(827)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0
Miscellaneous, net	(3,251)	(4,657)
Total nonoperating income (expense)	(5,019)	(5,484)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	10,630	(1,902)
Income tax expense	489	648
Income from continuing operations	10,141	(2,550)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	(750)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	10,141	(3,300)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,756)	(292)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	$ 4,385	$ (3,592)