Debt Instrument, Face Amount, Due on Fifth Anniversary

No definition available.

Name:	amcx_DebtInstrumentFaceAmountDueonFifthAnniversary
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Face Amount, Due on Sixth Anniversary

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amcx_DebtInstrumentFaceAmountDueonSixthAnniversary
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loan Forgiven in Lieu of Exercise Price for Warrants Exercised

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amcx_LoanForgiveninLieuofExercisePriceforWarrantsExercised
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Ownership Interest In Investment Upon Full Exercise Of Warrants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amcx_OwnershipInterestInInvestmentUponFullExerciseOfWarrants
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Shares Acquired from Exercise of Warrants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amcx_SharesAcquiredfromExerciseofWarrants
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Warrants Received per RLJE Investment Agreement

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	amcx_WarrantsReceivedperRLJEInvestmentAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	amcx_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent reporting concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 12
-Sentence Column A

+ Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Exercise price of the warrants.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column A

+ Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentWarrantsExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks paid or offered to be paid in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after adjustment, of cost-method investment. Adjustments include, but are not limited to, dividends received in excess of earnings after date of investment that are considered a return of investment and other than temporary impairments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 325
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75025870&loc=d3e40691-111596

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 325
-SubTopic 20
-Section 35
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75027002&loc=d3e40346-111594

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66022249&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before tax, of reclassification adjustment from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gain (loss) of investment classified as available-for-sale transferred to equity method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 35
-Paragraph 33
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99375318&loc=d3e32804-111569

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossReclassificationAdjustmentFromAociForInvestmentTransferredFromAvailableForSaleToEquityMethodBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=amcx_RLJEMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=amcx_ExpireOnTheFifthAnniversaryOfClosingDateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=amcx_ExpireOnTheSixthAnniversaryOfClosingDateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis=amcx_ExpireOnTheSeventhAnniversaryOfClosingDateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=amcx_TrancheALoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=amcx_TrancheBLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=amcx_TrancheA2LoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Feb. 26, 2018	Jun. 20, 2017	Jun. 16, 2017	Jan. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Oct. 14, 2016
Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments	$ 61.3					$ 28.2
Cost Method Investments	$ 46.8					$ 32.8
RLJE [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount							$ 65.0
Investment Warrants, Exercise Price	$ 3.00
Ownership Interest In Investment Upon Full Exercise Of Warrants	100.00%
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI for Investment Transferred from Available-for-sale to Equity Method, before Tax	$ 2.2
RLJE [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price		$ 4.25
RLJE [Member] \| Expire On The Fifth Anniversary Of Closing Date [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Warrants Received per RLJE Investment Agreement							5,000,000
RLJE [Member] \| Expire On The Sixth Anniversary Of Closing Date [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Warrants Received per RLJE Investment Agreement							10,000,000
RLJE [Member] \| Expire On The Seventh Anniversary Of Closing Date [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Warrants Received per RLJE Investment Agreement							5,000,000
RLJE [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Warrants Received per RLJE Investment Agreement							20,000,000
RLJE [Member] \| Tranche A Loan [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					$ 13.0		$ 5.0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	7.00%
Shares Acquired from Exercise of Warrants			1,667,000
RLJE [Member] \| Tranche B Loan [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 55.0				60.0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.00%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount, Due on Fifth Anniversary							15.0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount, Due on Sixth Anniversary							$ 30.0
Loan Forgiven in Lieu of Exercise Price for Warrants Exercised			$ 5.0
RLJE [Member] \| Tranche A-2 Loan [Member]
Investments [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 10.0