Equity Plans	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Equity Plans	Equity Plans On March 4, 2016, AMC Networks granted 486,758 restricted stock units (“RSU’s”) and 371,109 performance restricted stock units (“PRSU’s”) to certain executive officers and employees under the AMC Networks Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Employee Stock Plan. The RSU’s vest in equal annual installments over a three year period and the vesting criteria for 137,527 RSU’s include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company. The PRSU’s vest on the third anniversary of the grant date and include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, 323,402 RSU’s of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock previously issued to employees of the Company vested. On the vesting date, 133,306 RSU’s were surrendered to the Company to cover the required statutory tax withholding obligations and 190,096 new shares of the AMC Networks Class A Common Stock were issued in respect of the remaining RSU’s. The units surrendered to satisfy the employees’ statutory minimum tax withholding obligations for the applicable income and other employment tax had an aggregate value of $10,413, which has been reflected as a financing activity in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Share-based compensation expense included in selling, general and administrative expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 was $8,165 and $7,288, respectively. As of March 31, 2016, there was $102,438 of total unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to outstanding unvested share-based awards. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining period of approximately 2.9 years.

Equity Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

On March 4, 2016, AMC Networks granted 486,758 restricted stock units (“RSU’s”) and 371,109 performance restricted stock units (“PRSU’s”) to certain executive officers and employees under the AMC Networks Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Employee Stock Plan. The RSU’s vest in equal annual installments over a three year period and the vesting criteria for 137,527 RSU’s include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company. The PRSU’s vest on the third anniversary of the grant date and include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company.

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, 323,402 RSU’s of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock previously issued to employees of the Company vested. On the vesting date, 133,306 RSU’s were surrendered to the Company to cover the required statutory tax withholding obligations and 190,096 new shares of the AMC Networks Class A Common Stock were issued in respect of the remaining RSU’s. The units surrendered to satisfy the employees’ statutory minimum tax withholding obligations for the applicable income and other employment tax had an aggregate value of $10,413, which has been reflected as a financing activity in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Share-based compensation expense included in selling, general and administrative expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 was $8,165 and $7,288, respectively.

As of March 31, 2016, there was $102,438 of total unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to outstanding unvested share-based awards. The unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining period of approximately 2.9 years.