Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	$ 632,165	$ 519,550	$ 1,901,985	$ 1,566,197
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	293,096	252,556	814,999	701,771
Selling, general and administrative	156,308	132,851	469,767	420,097
Restructuring expense	2,631	5,619	5,941	6,772
Depreciation and amortization	20,862	18,295	62,429	50,220
Total operating expenses	472,897	409,321	1,353,136	1,178,860
Operating income	159,268	110,229	548,849	387,337
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(31,370)	(31,316)	(95,736)	(96,352)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous, net	(7,640)	(11,766)	(6,486)	(16,007)
Total other income (expense)	(39,010)	(43,082)	(102,222)	(112,359)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	120,258	67,147	446,627	274,978
Income tax expense	(43,358)	(13,078)	(155,609)	(88,742)
Net income from continuing operations	76,900	54,069	291,018	186,236
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	(966)	0	(3,448)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	76,900	53,103	291,018	182,788
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4,130)	57	(14,319)	394
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	72,770	53,160	276,699	183,182
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	(175)	0	(578)	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(188)	0	(565)	0
Selling, general and administrative	(26)	0	(44)	10
Restructuring expense	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	(214)	0	(609)	10
Operating income	39	0	31	(10)
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Share of affiliates' income	(94,842)	(150,065)	(504,870)	(395,011)
Miscellaneous, net	(39)	0	(31)	10
Total other income (expense)	(94,881)	(150,065)	(504,901)	(395,001)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(94,842)	(150,065)	(504,870)	(395,011)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Net income from continuing operations	(94,842)	(150,065)	(504,870)	(395,011)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0		0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	(94,842)	(150,065)	(504,870)	(395,011)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	(94,842)	(150,065)	(504,870)	(395,011)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Restructuring expense	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(19,197)	(17,512)	(59,571)	(59,697)
Share of affiliates' income	119,870	151,603	522,142	390,479
Miscellaneous, net	1,707	(57,230)	(50,645)	(55,388)
Total other income (expense)	102,380	76,861	411,926	275,394
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	102,380	76,861	411,926	275,394
Income tax expense	(29,610)	(23,701)	(135,227)	(92,212)
Net income from continuing operations	72,770	53,160	276,699	183,182
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0		0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	72,770	53,160	276,699	183,182
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	72,770	53,160	276,699	183,182
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	494,636	420,227	1,498,447	1,293,088
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	220,918	196,783	607,176	553,755
Selling, general and administrative	112,607	104,176	345,174	345,516
Restructuring expense	230	4,746	902	4,746
Depreciation and amortization	9,344	9,045	27,514	25,765
Total operating expenses	343,099	314,750	980,766	929,782
Operating income	151,537	105,477	517,681	363,306
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(2,898)	(11,904)	(15,688)	(32,489)
Share of affiliates' income	(25,028)	(1,538)	(17,272)	4,532
Miscellaneous, net	(1,291)	50,264	44,421	49,930
Total other income (expense)	(29,217)	36,822	11,461	21,973
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	122,320	142,299	529,142	385,279
Income tax expense	(2,450)	8,853	(7,000)	3,895
Net income from continuing operations	119,870	151,152	522,142	389,174
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0		0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	119,870	151,152	522,142	389,174
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	451	0	1,305
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	119,870	151,603	522,142	390,479
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	137,704	99,323	404,116	273,109
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	72,366	55,773	208,388	148,016
Selling, general and administrative	43,727	28,675	124,637	74,571
Restructuring expense	2,401	873	5,039	2,026
Depreciation and amortization	11,518	9,250	34,915	24,455
Total operating expenses	130,012	94,571	372,979	249,068
Operating income	7,692	4,752	31,137	24,041
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(9,275)	(1,900)	(20,477)	(4,166)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous, net	(8,017)	(4,800)	(231)	(10,559)
Total other income (expense)	(17,292)	(6,700)	(20,708)	(14,725)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(9,600)	(1,948)	10,429	9,316
Income tax expense	(11,298)	1,770	(13,382)	(425)
Net income from continuing operations	(20,898)	(178)	(2,953)	8,891
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(966)		(3,448)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	(20,898)	(1,144)	(2,953)	5,443
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4,130)	(394)	(14,319)	(911)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	$ (25,028)	$ (1,538)	$ (17,272)	$ 4,532