Equity Plans	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Equity Plans	Equity Plans On June 8, 2016, AMC Networks granted 27,066 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the AMC Networks Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Non-Employee Directors Plan to non-employee directors that vested on the date of grant. On March 4, 2016, AMC Networks granted 486,758 RSUs and 371,109 performance restricted stock units (“PRSUs”) to certain executive officers and employees under the AMC Networks Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Employee Stock Plan. PRSUs were first granted in March 2016 to replace the Company’s long-term cash performance awards. The RSUs vest in equal annual installments over a three-year period and the vesting criteria for 137,527 RSUs include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company. The PRSUs vest on the third anniversary of the grant date and include the achievement of certain performance targets by the Company. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, 336,435 RSUs of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock previously issued to employees of the Company vested. On the vesting dates, 139,904 RSUs were surrendered to the Company to cover the required statutory tax withholding obligations and 196,531 new shares of the AMC Networks Class A Common Stock were issued in respect of the remaining vesting RSUs. 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 $10,821, which is reflected as a financing activity in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. Share-based compensation expense included in selling, general and administrative expense, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $9,382 and $28,869, respectively, and $7,821 and $23,910 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. As of September 30, 2016, there was $58,992 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 2.5 years.

Equity Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

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

On June 8, 2016, AMC Networks granted 27,066 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the AMC Networks Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Non-Employee Directors Plan to non-employee directors that vested on the date of grant.

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

During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, 336,435 RSUs of AMC Networks Class A Common Stock previously issued to employees of the Company vested. On the vesting dates, 139,904 RSUs were surrendered to the Company to cover the required statutory tax withholding obligations and 196,531 new shares of the AMC Networks Class A Common Stock were issued in respect of the remaining vesting RSUs. 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 $10,821, which is reflected as a financing activity in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

Share-based compensation expense included in selling, general and administrative expense, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $9,382 and $28,869, respectively, and $7,821 and $23,910 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively.

As of September 30, 2016, there was $58,992 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 2.5 years.