Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 316,321	$ 201,367	$ 521,951	$ 610,970
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	674,611	587,193
Amounts due from related parties, net	4,062	4,102
Current portion of program rights, net	453,157	437,302
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	72,989	74,294
Deferred tax asset, net	16,198	24,822
Total current assets	1,537,338	1,329,080
Property and equipment, net	163,860	133,844
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	1,027,394	959,941
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	50,069	46,737
Intangible assets, net	549,180	590,824
Goodwill	736,275	734,356
Other assets	200,799	155,044
Total assets	4,264,915	3,949,826
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	124,441	101,866
Accrued liabilities	200,793	204,786
Current portion of program rights obligations	289,897	271,199
Deferred revenue	64,229	36,888
Promissory note payable	0	40,000
Current portion of long-term debt	148,000	74,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	3,561	2,953
Total current liabilities	830,921	731,692
Program rights obligations	440,591	465,672
Long-term debt, net	2,519,808	2,658,805
Capital lease obligations	29,779	27,386
Deferred tax liability, net	137,233	128,066
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	103,530	85,503
Total liabilities	4,061,862	4,097,124
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(39,277)	(371,755)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(39,277)	(371,755)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	30,639	19,846
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(8,638)	(351,909)	(571,519)	$ (882,352)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	$ 4,264,915	$ 3,949,826
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount	$ 211,691	$ 204,611	268
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	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 and other current assets	(55,947)	(52,050)
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	(55,947)	(52,050)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(3,643,007)	(3,088,984)
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(400,839)	(735,363)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,099,793)	(3,876,397)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	(55,947)	(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	(55,947)	(52,050)
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(400,839)	(735,363)
Total liabilities	(456,786)	(787,413)
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(3,643,007)	(3,088,984)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(3,643,007)	(3,088,984)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(3,643,007)	(3,088,984)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	(4,099,793)	(3,876,397)
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount	0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	434	1,581	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 and other current assets	4,158	44,011
Deferred tax asset, net	14,039	22,221
Total current assets	18,631	67,813
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	2,797,938	1,851,065
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	624,100
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	1,449	0
Total assets	2,818,018	2,542,978
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	6	16
Accrued liabilities	30,857	39,566
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Promissory note payable		0
Current portion of long-term debt	148,000	74,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	178,863	113,582
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt, net	2,519,808	2,658,805
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	126,415	113,742
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	32,209	28,604
Total liabilities	2,857,295	2,914,733
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(39,277)	(371,755)
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	(39,277)	(371,755)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(39,277)	(371,755)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	2,818,018	2,542,978
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	148,260	83,676	519,392
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	538,657	443,720
Amounts due from related parties, net	3,818	3,846
Current portion of program rights, net	352,664	350,750
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	112,456	75,631
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	1,155,855	957,623
Property and equipment, net	93,007	80,064
Investment in affiliates	845,069	1,237,919
Program rights, net	889,756	878,294
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	400,163	111,263
Deferred carriage fees, net	47,437	44,644
Intangible assets, net	190,041	199,785
Goodwill	71,700	74,224
Other assets	100,620	63,700
Total assets	3,793,648	3,647,516
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	97,445	62,573
Accrued liabilities	128,084	155,569
Current portion of program rights obligations	225,375	212,310
Deferred revenue	54,921	30,184
Promissory note payable		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,393	2,226
Total current liabilities	508,218	462,862
Program rights obligations	415,419	453,343
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Capital lease obligations	9,268	11,884
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	62,805	868,362
Total liabilities	995,710	1,796,451
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	2,797,938	1,851,065
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	2,797,938	1,851,065
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	2,797,938	1,851,065
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	3,793,648	3,647,516
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	167,627	116,110	$ 1,617
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	135,954	143,473
Amounts due from related parties, net	244	256
Current portion of program rights, net	100,493	86,552
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	12,322	6,702
Deferred tax asset, net	2,159	2,601
Total current assets	418,799	355,694
Property and equipment, net	70,853	53,780
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	137,638	81,647
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	676	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	2,632	2,093
Intangible assets, net	359,139	391,039
Goodwill	664,575	660,132
Other assets	98,730	91,344
Total assets	1,753,042	1,635,729
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	26,990	39,277
Accrued liabilities	97,799	61,701
Current portion of program rights obligations	64,522	58,889
Deferred revenue	9,308	6,704
Promissory note payable		40,000
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,168	727
Total current liabilities	199,787	207,298
Program rights obligations	25,172	12,329
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Capital lease obligations	20,511	15,502
Deferred tax liability, net	10,818	14,324
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	409,355	(76,100)
Total liabilities	665,643	173,353
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	845,069	1,237,919
Total AMC Networks stockholders’ (deficiency) equity	845,069	1,237,919
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	30,639	19,846
Total stockholders’ deficiency	875,708	1,257,765
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	1,753,042	1,635,729
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount	$ 211,691	$ 204,611