Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	$ 726,934	$ 648,023	$ 710,545	$ 720,189	$ 729,597	$ 634,646	$ 684,832	$ 706,579	$ 2,805,691	$ 2,755,654	$ 2,580,935
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									1,341,076	1,279,984	1,137,133
Selling, general and administrative									613,342	636,028	636,580
Restructuring expense									6,128	29,503	14,998
Depreciation and amortization									94,638	84,778	83,031
Impairment and related charges			11,000						28,148	67,805	0
Total operating expenses	565,390	494,669	534,755	488,518	625,869	517,509	506,800	447,920	2,083,332	2,098,098	1,871,742
Operating income	161,544	153,354	175,790	231,671	103,728	117,137	178,032	258,659	722,359	657,556	709,193
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									(119,297)	(118,568)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt		3,000							(3,004)	(50,639)	0
Miscellaneous, net									40,320	(33,524)	(691)
Total other income (expense)									(81,981)	(202,731)	(126,399)
Income from operations before income taxes									640,378	454,825	582,794
Income tax expense									(150,741)	(164,862)	(201,090)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	148,544	90,836	107,626	142,631	19,043	67,469	83,387	120,064	489,637	289,963	381,704
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(18,321)	(19,453)	(14,916)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	$ 145,499	$ 87,002	$ 102,598	$ 136,217	$ 14,498	$ 65,393	$ 77,175	$ 113,444	471,316	270,510	$ 366,788
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net									(14,999)	(10,563)
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									(3,188)	(2,611)
Selling, general and administrative									(12,108)	(7,719)
Restructuring expense									0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0
Impairment and related charges									0	0
Total operating expenses									(15,296)	(10,330)
Operating income									297	(233)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									0	0
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									(761,790)	(487,931)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	0
Miscellaneous, net									(297)	233
Total other income (expense)									(762,087)	(487,698)
Income from operations before income taxes									(761,790)	(487,931)
Income tax expense									0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests									(761,790)	(487,931)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									(761,790)	(487,931)
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 expense									0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0
Impairment and related charges									0	0
Total operating expenses									0	0
Operating income									0	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									(129,971)	(119,192)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									748,430	591,395
Loss on extinguishment of debt									(3,004)	(50,639)
Miscellaneous, net									(1,530)	(273)
Total other income (expense)									613,925	421,291
Income from operations before income taxes									613,925	421,291
Income tax expense									(142,609)	(150,781)
Net income including noncontrolling interests									471,316	270,510
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									471,316	270,510
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net									2,182,867	2,142,325
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									991,476	947,707
Selling, general and administrative									447,118	460,150
Restructuring expense									2,566	24,950
Depreciation and amortization									40,923	40,230
Impairment and related charges									0	0
Total operating expenses									1,482,083	1,473,037
Operating income									700,784	669,288
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									41,934	38,137
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									13,360	(103,464)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	0
Miscellaneous, net									2,484	(2,892)
Total other income (expense)									57,778	(68,219)
Income from operations before income taxes									758,562	601,069
Income tax expense									(10,132)	(9,674)
Net income including noncontrolling interests									748,430	591,395
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									748,430	591,395
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net									637,823	623,892
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									352,788	334,888
Selling, general and administrative									178,332	183,597
Restructuring expense									3,562	4,553
Depreciation and amortization									53,715	44,548
Impairment and related charges									28,148	67,805
Total operating expenses									616,545	635,391
Operating income									21,278	(11,499)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									(31,260)	(37,513)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	0
Miscellaneous, net									39,663	(30,592)
Total other income (expense)									8,403	(68,105)
Income from operations before income taxes									29,681	(79,604)
Income tax expense									2,000	(4,407)
Net income including noncontrolling interests									31,681	(84,011)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(18,321)	(19,453)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									$ 13,360	$ (103,464)