Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Cash Flow) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 80,195	$ 74,599
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(18,248)	(6,189)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(6,581)	(993,210)
Purchases of investments	(25,210)us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInvestments	0us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInvestments
(Increase) decrease to investment in affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from insurance settlements	0	654
Net cash used in investing activities	(50,039)	(998,745)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	(18,500)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
Deemed repurchases of restricted stock/units	(12,848)	(17,804)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	130	843
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	3,672	4,520
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(1,420)	(414)
Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt	0	600,000
Payments for financing costs	0us-gaap_PaymentsOfFinancingCosts	9,036us-gaap_PaymentsOfFinancingCosts
Long-term intercompany debt		0amcx_LongtermIntercompanyDebt
Cash contributions from member		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(28,966)	578,109
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations	1,190	(346,037)
Cash flows from discontinued operations
Net cash used in operating activities	0	(485)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations	0	(485)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(8,250)	(15,975)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	201,367	521,951
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	194,307	159,454
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	(280,489)	(1,352)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Purchases of investments	0
(Increase) decrease to investment in affiliates	208,797	26,526
Proceeds from insurance settlements		0
Net cash used in investing activities	208,797	26,526
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	0
Deemed repurchases of restricted stock/units	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt		0
Payments for financing costs		0
Long-term intercompany debt		0
Cash contributions from member		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations	(71,692)	25,174
Cash flows from discontinued operations
Net cash used in operating activities	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	71,692	(25,174)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	223,495	89,738
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(9)	(1,338)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Purchases of investments	0
(Increase) decrease to investment in affiliates	(122,915)	37,298
Proceeds from insurance settlements		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(122,924)	35,960
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	(18,500)
Deemed repurchases of restricted stock/units	(12,848)	(17,804)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	130	843
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	3,672	4,520
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt		600,000
Payments for financing costs		9,036
Long-term intercompany debt		710,481
Cash contributions from member		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(27,546)	(131,958)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations	73,025	(6,260)
Cash flows from discontinued operations
Net cash used in operating activities	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(73,735)	6,153
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,581	942
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	871	835
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	111,816	(39,066)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(13,416)	(4,131)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(1,009,286)
Purchases of investments	(82)
(Increase) decrease to investment in affiliates	(14,892)	(63,824)
Proceeds from insurance settlements		654
Net cash used in investing activities	(28,390)	(1,076,587)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	0
Deemed repurchases of restricted stock/units	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(542)	(414)
Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt		0
Payments for financing costs		0
Long-term intercompany debt		(710,481)
Cash contributions from member		(2,600)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(542)	707,467
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations	82,884	(408,186)
Cash flows from discontinued operations
Net cash used in operating activities	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(71,692)	6,151
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	83,676	519,392
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	94,868	117,357
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	25,373	25,279
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(4,823)	(720)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(6,581)	16,076
Purchases of investments	(25,128)
(Increase) decrease to investment in affiliates	(70,990)	0
Proceeds from insurance settlements		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(107,522)	15,356
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on long-term debt	0
Deemed repurchases of restricted stock/units	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation arrangements	0	0
Principal payments on capital lease obligations	(878)	0
Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt		0
Payments for financing costs		0
Long-term intercompany debt		0
Cash contributions from member		2,600
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(878)	2,600
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations	(83,027)	43,235
Cash flows from discontinued operations
Net cash used in operating activities	0	(485)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations	0	(485)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	65,485	(3,105)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	116,110	1,617
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 98,568	$ 41,262

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Long-term Intercompany Debt

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Amount of cash inflow from realized tax benefit related to deductible compensation cost reported on the entity's tax return for equity instruments in excess of the compensation cost for those instruments recognized for financial reporting purposes.

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The cash outflow to reacquire other equity not otherwise defined in the taxonomy.

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