Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 481,389	$ 316,321	$ 201,367	$ 521,951
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	700,655	674,611
Amounts due from related parties, net	508	4,062
Current portion of program rights, net	441,130	453,157
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	72,661	72,989
Total current assets	1,696,343	1,521,140
Property and equipment, net	166,636	163,860
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	1,108,586	1,027,394
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	43,886	50,069
Intangible assets, net	485,809	549,180
Goodwill	657,708	736,275
Deferred tax asset, net	8,598	10,765
Other assets	313,029	191,926
Total assets	4,480,595	4,250,609
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	88,677	71,148
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	284,429	254,032
Current portion of program rights obligations	300,845	289,897
Deferred revenue	53,643	64,229
Current portion of long-term debt	222,000	148,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	4,584	3,561
Total current liabilities	954,178	830,867
Program rights obligations	398,175	440,591
Long-term debt, net	2,597,263	2,519,808
Capital lease obligations	35,282	29,779
Deferred tax liability, net	145,791	122,981
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	132,219	103,530
Total liabilities	4,262,908	4,047,556
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	(30,082)	(39,277)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,438	30,639
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(1,644)	(8,638)	(351,909)	$ (571,519)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	4,480,595	4,250,609
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	219,331	211,691	204,611
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, other current assets and intercompany receivable	(95,423)	(55,947)
Total current assets	(95,423)	(55,947)
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(3,813,946)	(3,643,007)
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(432,916)	(400,839)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,342,285)	(4,099,793)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(95,423)	(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	(95,423)	(55,947)
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	(432,916)	(400,839)
Total liabilities	(528,339)	(456,786)
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	(3,813,946)	(3,643,007)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(3,813,946)	(3,643,007)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	(4,342,285)	(4,099,793)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	565	434	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, other current assets and intercompany receivable	948	4,158
Total current assets	1,513	4,592
Property and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	3,029,922	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
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Other assets	1,471	1,449
Total assets	3,032,906	2,803,979
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	6
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	71,680	30,857
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	222,000	148,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	293,680	178,863
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt, net	2,597,263	2,519,808
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	145,364	112,376
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	26,681	32,209
Total liabilities	3,062,988	2,843,256
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	(30,082)	(39,277)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	(30,082)	(39,277)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	3,032,906	2,803,979
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	320,950	148,260	83,676
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	537,751	538,657
Amounts due from related parties, net	508	3,818
Current portion of program rights, net	307,050	352,664
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	151,175	112,456
Total current assets	1,317,434	1,155,855
Property and equipment, net	104,272	93,007
Investment in affiliates	784,024	845,069
Program rights, net	947,657	889,756
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	432,099	400,163
Deferred carriage fees, net	42,656	47,437
Intangible assets, net	180,297	190,041
Goodwill	69,154	71,700
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Other assets	116,608	100,620
Total assets	3,994,201	3,793,648
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	40,033	44,152
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	182,667	181,377
Current portion of program rights obligations	226,474	225,375
Deferred revenue	42,782	54,921
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,645	2,393
Total current liabilities	494,601	508,218
Program rights obligations	365,262	415,419
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Capital lease obligations	6,647	9,268
Deferred tax liability, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	97,769	62,805
Total liabilities	964,279	995,710
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	3,029,922	2,797,938
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficiency	3,029,922	2,797,938
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	3,994,201	3,793,648
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	159,874	167,627	$ 116,110
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	162,904	135,954
Amounts due from related parties, net	0	244
Current portion of program rights, net	134,080	100,493
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and intercompany receivable	15,961	12,322
Total current assets	472,819	416,640
Property and equipment, net	62,364	70,853
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	160,929	137,638
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	817	676
Deferred carriage fees, net	1,230	2,632
Intangible assets, net	305,512	359,139
Goodwill	588,554	664,575
Deferred tax asset, net	8,598	10,765
Other assets	194,950	89,857
Total assets	1,795,773	1,752,775
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	48,644	26,990
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	125,505	97,745
Current portion of program rights obligations	74,371	64,522
Deferred revenue	10,861	9,308
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,939	1,168
Total current liabilities	261,320	199,733
Program rights obligations	32,913	25,172
Long-term debt, net	0	0
Capital lease obligations	28,635	20,511
Deferred tax liability, net	427	10,605
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	440,685	409,355
Total liabilities	763,980	665,376
Stockholders' deficiency:
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	784,024	845,069
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,438	30,639
Total stockholders’ deficiency	812,462	875,708
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency	1,795,773	1,752,775
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	$ 219,331	$ 211,691