Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 189,479	$ 481,389	$ 643,470	$ 316,321
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	744,647	700,655
Amounts due from related parties, net	488	508
Current portion of program rights, net	450,090	441,130
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	77,612	72,661
Assets held for sale	16,433	0
Total current assets	1,478,749	1,696,343
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	159,153	166,636
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	1,221,916	1,108,586
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Deferred carriage fees, net	37,626	43,886
Intangible assets, net	479,179	485,809
Goodwill	680,234	657,708
Deferred tax assets, net	9,079	8,598
Other assets	412,232	313,029
Total assets	4,478,168	4,480,595
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	90,893	88,677
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	234,494	284,429
Current portion of program rights obligations	301,527	300,845
Deferred revenue	47,834	53,643
Current portion of long-term debt	259,000	222,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	4,253	4,584
Liabilities held for sale	16,433	0
Total current liabilities	954,434	954,178
Program rights obligations	485,883	398,175
Long-term debt	2,453,814	2,597,263
Capital lease obligations	28,341	35,282
Deferred tax liabilites, net	159,996	145,791
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	120,890	132,219
Total liabilities	4,203,358	4,262,908
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	217,149	219,331
Stockholders’ equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	29,677	(30,082)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	27,984	28,438
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	57,661	(1,644)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	4,478,168	4,480,595
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	(107,082)	(95,423)
Assets held for sale	0
Total current assets	(107,082)	(95,423)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(3,880,105)	(3,813,946)
Program rights, net	0	0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(463,612)	(432,916)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,450,799)	(4,342,285)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(107,082)	(95,423)
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
Liabilities held for sale	0
Total current liabilities	(107,082)	(95,423)
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liabilites, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(463,612)	(432,916)
Total liabilities	(570,694)	(528,339)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	(3,880,105)	(3,813,946)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(3,880,105)	(3,813,946)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	(4,450,799)	(4,342,285)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	116	565	50,947	434
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	501	948
Assets held for sale	0
Total current assets	617	1,513
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Investment in affiliates	2,998,053	3,029,922
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 assets, net	0	0
Other assets	1,610	1,471
Total assets	3,000,280	3,032,906
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	16	0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	53,622	71,680
Current portion of program rights obligations	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	259,000	222,000
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0	0
Liabilities held for sale	0
Total current liabilities	312,638	293,680
Program rights obligations	0	0
Long-term debt	2,453,814	2,597,263
Capital lease obligations	0	0
Deferred tax liabilites, net	163,924	145,364
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	40,227	26,681
Total liabilities	2,970,603	3,062,988
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	29,677	(30,082)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	29,677	(30,082)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	3,000,280	3,032,906
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	42,368	320,950	434,974	148,260
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	559,893	537,751
Amounts due from related parties, net	488	508
Current portion of program rights, net	301,511	307,050
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	170,958	151,175
Assets held for sale	0
Total current assets	1,075,218	1,317,434
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	112,189	104,272
Investment in affiliates	882,052	784,024
Program rights, net	1,046,405	947,657
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	463,048	432,099
Deferred carriage fees, net	35,972	42,656
Intangible assets, net	175,425	180,297
Goodwill	67,881	69,154
Deferred tax assets, net	0	0
Other assets	129,289	116,608
Total assets	3,987,479	3,994,201
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	45,877	40,033
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	149,307	182,667
Current portion of program rights obligations	228,419	226,474
Deferred revenue	32,787	42,782
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,703	2,645
Liabilities held for sale	0
Total current liabilities	459,093	494,601
Program rights obligations	457,105	365,262
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	5,325	6,647
Deferred tax liabilites, net	0	0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	67,903	97,769
Total liabilities	989,426	964,279
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	2,998,053	3,029,922
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	2,998,053	3,029,922
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	3,987,479	3,994,201
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	146,995	159,874	$ 157,549	$ 167,627
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	184,754	162,904
Amounts due from related parties, net	0	0
Current portion of program rights, net	148,579	134,080
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	13,235	15,961
Assets held for sale	16,433
Total current assets	509,996	472,819
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	46,964	62,364
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Program rights, net	175,511	160,929
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	564	817
Deferred carriage fees, net	1,654	1,230
Intangible assets, net	303,754	305,512
Goodwill	612,353	588,554
Deferred tax assets, net	9,079	8,598
Other assets	281,333	194,950
Total assets	1,941,208	1,795,773
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	45,000	48,644
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	138,647	125,505
Current portion of program rights obligations	73,108	74,371
Deferred revenue	15,047	10,861
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,550	1,939
Liabilities held for sale	16,433
Total current liabilities	289,785	261,320
Program rights obligations	28,778	32,913
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital lease obligations	23,016	28,635
Deferred tax liabilites, net	(3,928)	427
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	476,372	440,685
Total liabilities	814,023	763,980
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	217,149	219,331
Stockholders’ equity (deficiency):
AMC Networks stockholders’ equity	882,052	784,024
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	27,984	28,438
Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	910,036	812,462
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficiency)	$ 1,941,208	$ 1,795,773