Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	$ 706,579	$ 668,682
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	274,274	262,173
Selling, general and administrative	153,901	154,579
Restructuring (credit) expense	(35)	656
Depreciation and amortization	19,632	20,527
Total operating expenses	447,772	437,935
Operating income	258,807	230,747
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(31,029)	(32,587)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(48,334)	0
Miscellaneous, net	(837)	(10,230)
Total other income (expense)	(80,200)	(42,817)
Income from operations before income taxes	178,607	187,930
Income tax expense	(58,543)	(61,254)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	120,064	126,676
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,620)	(5,756)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	113,444	120,920
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	(2,484)	(225)
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(683)	(206)
Selling, general and administrative	(1,804)	2
Restructuring (credit) expense	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total operating expenses	(2,487)	(204)
Operating income	3	(21)
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	0	0
Share of affiliates' income	(245,277)	(280,370)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Miscellaneous, net	(3)	21
Total other income (expense)	(245,280)	(280,349)
Income from operations before income taxes	(245,277)	(280,370)
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	(245,277)	(280,370)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	(245,277)	(280,370)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	0	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0
Restructuring (credit) expense	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total operating expenses	0	0
Operating income	0	0
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(30,572)	(20,353)
Share of affiliates' income	246,047	275,985
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(48,334)
Miscellaneous, net	(79)	(76,315)
Total other income (expense)	167,062	179,317
Income from operations before income taxes	167,062	179,317
Income tax expense	(53,618)	(58,398)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	113,444	120,919
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	113,444	120,919
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	554,326	539,444
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	190,110	196,758
Selling, general and administrative	114,357	118,486
Restructuring (credit) expense	(70)	114
Depreciation and amortization	10,075	8,967
Total operating expenses	314,472	324,325
Operating income	239,854	215,119
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	9,293	(10,466)
Share of affiliates' income	(770)	4,385
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Miscellaneous, net	(21)	69,315
Total other income (expense)	8,502	63,234
Income from operations before income taxes	248,356	278,353
Income tax expense	(2,309)	(2,367)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	246,047	275,986
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	246,047	275,986
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	154,737	129,463
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	84,847	65,621
Selling, general and administrative	41,348	36,091
Restructuring (credit) expense	35	542
Depreciation and amortization	9,557	11,560
Total operating expenses	135,787	113,814
Operating income	18,950	15,649
Other income (expense)
Interest expense, net	(9,750)	(1,768)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Miscellaneous, net	(734)	(3,251)
Total other income (expense)	(10,484)	(5,019)
Income from operations before income taxes	8,466	10,630
Income tax expense	(2,616)	(489)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	5,850	10,141
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,620)	(5,756)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks’ stockholders	$ (770)	$ 4,385