Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 682,764	$ 316,321	$ 307,555	$ 201,367
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	647,233	674,611
Amounts due from related parties, net	384	4,062
Current portion of program rights, net	380,439	453,157
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	95,481	72,989
Deferred tax asset, net	43,037	16,198
Total current assets	1,849,338	1,537,338
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	177,694	163,860
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	1,097,708	1,027,394
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	48,162	50,069
Intangible assets, net	523,574	549,180
Goodwill	706,163	736,275
Other assets	219,426	200,799
Total assets	4,622,065	4,264,915
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	83,432	71,148
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	253,579	254,086
Current portion of program rights obligations	288,023	289,897
Deferred revenue	94,746	64,229
Current portion of long-term debt	203,500	148,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	4,579	3,561
Total current liabilities	927,859	830,921
Program rights obligations	369,587	440,591
Long-term debt	2,650,418	2,519,808
Capital lease obligations	37,136	29,779
Deferred tax liability, net	183,582	137,233
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	98,639	103,530
Total liabilities	4,267,221	4,061,862
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	215,323	211,691
Stockholders' equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	110,002	(39,277)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	29,519	30,639
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	139,521	(8,638)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	4,622,065	4,264,915
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	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	(112,344)	(55,947)
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	(112,344)	(55,947)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(3,978,943)	(3,643,007)
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(412,203)	(400,839)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,503,490)	(4,099,793)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(112,344)	(55,947)
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	(112,344)	(55,947)
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(412,203)	(400,839)
Total liabilities	(524,547)	(456,786)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders' equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	(3,978,943)	(3,643,007)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(3,978,943)	(3,643,007)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(4,503,490)	(4,099,793)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	860	434	485	1,581
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	1,033	4,158
Deferred tax asset, net	38,706	14,039
Total current assets	40,599	18,631
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Investment in affiliates	3,168,345	2,797,938
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other assets	165	1,449
Total assets	3,209,109	2,818,018
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	6
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	43,680	30,857
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	203,500	148,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	247,180	178,863
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	2,650,418	2,519,808
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	176,113	126,415
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	25,396	32,209
Total liabilities	3,099,107	2,857,295
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders' equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	110,002	(39,277)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	110,002	(39,277)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	3,209,109	2,818,018
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	504,724	148,260	155,366	83,676
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	478,720	538,657
Amounts due from related parties, net	384	3,818
Current portion of program rights, net	257,630	352,664
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	193,472	112,456
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Total current assets	1,434,930	1,155,855
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	94,999	93,007
Investment in affiliates	810,598	845,069
Program rights, net	947,713	889,756
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	411,476	400,163
Deferred carriage fees, net	46,019	47,437
Intangible assets, net	182,733	190,041
Goodwill	69,791	71,700
Other assets	106,123	100,620
Total assets	4,104,382	3,793,648
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	41,080	44,152
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	175,892	181,377
Current portion of program rights obligations	226,426	225,375
Deferred revenue	79,366	54,921
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,591	2,393
Total current liabilities	525,355	508,218
Program rights obligations	338,911	415,419
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	7,348	9,268
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	64,423	62,805
Total liabilities	936,037	995,710
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders' equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	3,168,345	2,797,938
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	3,168,345	2,797,938
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	4,104,382	3,793,648
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	177,180	167,627	$ 151,704	$ 116,110
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	168,513	135,954
Amounts due from related parties, net	0	244
Current portion of program rights, net	122,809	100,493
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	13,320	12,322
Deferred tax asset, net	4,331	2,159
Total current assets	486,153	418,799
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	82,695	70,853
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	149,995	137,638
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	727	676
Deferred carriage fees, net	2,143	2,632
Intangible assets, net	340,841	359,139
Goodwill	636,372	664,575
Other assets	113,138	98,730
Total assets	1,812,064	1,753,042
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	42,352	26,990
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	146,351	97,799
Current portion of program rights obligations	61,597	64,522
Deferred revenue	15,380	9,308
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,988	1,168
Total current liabilities	267,668	199,787
Program rights obligations	30,676	25,172
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	29,788	20,511
Deferred tax liability, net	7,469	10,818
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	421,023	409,355
Total liabilities	756,624	665,643
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	215,323	211,691
Stockholders' equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	810,598	845,069
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	29,519	30,639
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	840,117	875,708
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	$ 1,812,064	$ 1,753,042