Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 241,060	$ 201,367	$ 283,992	$ 521,951
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	607,026	587,193
Amounts due from related parties, net	3,975	4,102
Current portion of program rights, net	440,483	437,302
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	72,206	74,294
Deferred tax asset, net	21,741	24,822
Total current assets	1,386,491	1,329,080
Property and equipment, net	140,323	133,844
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	1,028,927	959,941
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	55,578	46,737
Intangible assets, net	562,465	590,824
Goodwill	727,206	734,356
Other assets	208,620	181,805
Total assets	4,109,610	3,976,587
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	146,260	101,866
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	154,099	204,786
Current portion of program rights obligations	280,641	271,199
Deferred revenue	70,604	36,888
Promissory note payable	0	40,000
Current portion of long-term debt	111,000	74,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	3,083	2,953
Total current liabilities	765,687	731,692
Program rights obligations	459,650	465,672
Long-term debt	2,612,806	2,685,566
Capital lease obligations	25,708	27,386
Deferred tax liability, net	131,142	128,066
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	74,700	85,503
Total liabilities	$ 4,069,693	$ 4,123,885
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 208,287	$ 204,611
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(192,660)	(371,755)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ deficiency	(192,660)	(371,755)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	24,290	19,846
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(168,370)	(351,909)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	4,109,610	3,976,587
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0	0
Amounts due from related parties, net	0	0
Current portion of program rights, net	0	0
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	(130,549)	(52,050)
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	(130,549)	(52,050)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(2,983,878)	(3,088,984)
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(1,217,762)	(933,667)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,332,189)	(4,074,701)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(130,549)	(52,050)
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Promissory note payable		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	(130,549)	(52,050)
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(1,217,762)	(933,667)
Total liabilities	$ (1,348,311)	(985,717)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 0	0
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(2,983,878)	(3,088,984)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ deficiency	(2,983,878)	(3,088,984)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(2,983,878)	(3,088,984)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	(4,332,189)	(4,074,701)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	894	1,581	1,984	942
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0	0
Amounts due from related parties, net	0	0
Current portion of program rights, net	0	0
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	24,693	44,011
Deferred tax asset, net	19,660	22,221
Total current assets	45,247	67,813
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	2,037,049	1,851,065
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	615,906	624,100
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	23,525	26,760
Total assets	2,721,727	2,569,738
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	12	15
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	36,994	39,566
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Promissory note payable		0
Current portion of long-term debt	111,000	74,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	148,006	113,581
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	2,612,806	2,685,566
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	121,398	113,742
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	32,177	28,604
Total liabilities	$ 2,914,387	2,941,493
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 0	0
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(192,660)	(371,755)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ deficiency	(192,660)	(371,755)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(192,660)	(371,755)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	2,721,727	2,569,738
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	122,665	83,676	193,965	519,392
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	453,121	443,720
Amounts due from related parties, net	3,721	3,846
Current portion of program rights, net	339,508	350,750
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	159,592	75,631
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	1,078,607	957,623
Property and equipment, net	85,013	80,064
Investment in affiliates	946,829	1,237,919
Program rights, net	929,806	878,294
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	400,258	111,263
Deferred carriage fees, net	53,370	44,644
Intangible assets, net	194,913	199,785
Goodwill	72,962	74,224
Other assets	73,060	63,700
Total assets	3,834,818	3,647,516
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	102,615	62,573
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	101,626	155,569
Current portion of program rights obligations	225,383	212,310
Deferred revenue	62,868	30,184
Promissory note payable		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,312	2,226
Total current liabilities	494,804	462,862
Program rights obligations	441,316	453,343
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	10,603	11,884
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	851,046	868,362
Total liabilities	$ 1,797,769	1,796,451
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 0	0
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	2,037,049	1,851,065
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ deficiency	2,037,049	1,851,065
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	2,037,049	1,851,065
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	3,834,818	3,647,516
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	117,501	116,110	$ 88,043	$ 1,617
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	153,905	143,473
Amounts due from related parties, net	254	256
Current portion of program rights, net	100,975	86,552
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	18,470	6,702
Deferred tax asset, net	2,081	2,601
Total current assets	393,186	355,694
Property and equipment, net	55,310	53,780
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	99,121	81,647
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	201,598	198,304
Deferred carriage fees, net	2,208	2,093
Intangible assets, net	367,552	391,039
Goodwill	654,244	660,132
Other assets	112,035	91,345
Total assets	1,885,254	1,834,034
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	43,633	39,278
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	146,028	61,701
Current portion of program rights obligations	55,258	58,889
Deferred revenue	7,736	6,704
Promissory note payable		40,000
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	771	727
Total current liabilities	253,426	207,299
Program rights obligations	18,334	12,329
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	15,105	15,502
Deferred tax liability, net	9,744	14,324
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	409,239	122,204
Total liabilities	$ 705,848	371,658
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 208,287	204,611
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	946,829	1,237,919
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ deficiency	946,829	1,237,919
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	24,290	19,846
Total stockholders’ deficiency	971,119	1,257,765
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	$ 1,885,254	$ 1,834,034