Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 416,124		$ 558,783	$ 189,479	$ 481,389
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	818,730		775,891
Current portion of program rights, net	462,866		453,450
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	110,437		91,726
Total current assets	1,808,157	$ 1,883,508	1,879,850
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	214,054		183,514
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	1,218,682		1,319,279
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	23,671		29,924
Intangible assets, net	479,163		457,242
Goodwill	710,047		695,158
Deferred tax asset, net	27,547		20,081
Other assets	592,046		447,937
Total assets	5,073,367	5,052,884	5,032,985
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	105,015		102,197
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	216,481		263,076
Current portion of program rights obligations	347,076		327,549
Deferred revenue	62,191		46,433
Current portion of long-term debt			0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	4,630		4,847
Total current liabilities	735,393	744,937	744,102
Program rights obligations	442,665		534,980
Long-term debt	3,103,056		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	23,739		26,277
Deferred tax liability, net	149,599		109,698
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	173,756		136,122
Total liabilities	4,628,208	$ 4,657,551	4,650,436
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	249,739		218,604
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	165,899		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	29,521		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	195,420		163,945
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	5,073,367		5,032,985
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0	0
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0		0
Current portion of program rights, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(119,319)		(104,389)
Total current assets	(119,319)		(104,389)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	(4,989,943)		(4,377,625)
Program rights, net	0		0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(46,918)		(490,375)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0		0
Intangible assets, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Other assets
Total assets	(5,156,180)		(4,972,389)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(119,319)		(104,389)
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt			0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0		0
Total current liabilities	(119,319)		(104,389)
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	(46,918)		(490,375)
Total liabilities	(166,237)		(594,764)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	(4,989,943)		(4,377,625)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	(4,989,943)		(4,377,625)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(5,156,180)		(4,972,389)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2,885		320	116	565
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0		0
Current portion of program rights, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,075		3,760
Total current assets	5,960		4,080
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	3,496,168		3,443,013
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	0		0
Total assets	3,502,128		3,447,093
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	(19)		350
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	49,660		51,692
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt			0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0		0
Total current liabilities	49,641		52,042
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt	3,103,056		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	0		0
Deferred tax liability, net	132,090		114,717
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	51,442		46,133
Total liabilities	3,336,229		3,312,149
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	165,899		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	165,899		134,944
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,502,128		3,447,093
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	243,413		391,248	42,368	320,950
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	596,408		581,270
Current portion of program rights, net	308,628		304,149
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	207,653		183,815
Total current assets	1,356,102		1,460,482
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	148,673		136,032
Investment in affiliates	1,493,775		934,612
Program rights, net	1,032,302		1,128,021
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	46,497		489,939
Deferred carriage fees, net	22,669		29,346
Intangible assets, net	165,681		170,554
Goodwill	65,954		66,609
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Other assets	171,874		142,115
Total assets	4,503,527		4,557,710
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	41,371		50,282
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	140,118		179,003
Current portion of program rights obligations	276,571		262,004
Deferred revenue	29,632		27,530
Current portion of long-term debt			0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,937		2,939
Total current liabilities	490,629		521,758
Program rights obligations	428,322		511,996
Long-term debt	0		0
Capital lease obligations	2,298		3,745
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	86,110		77,198
Total liabilities	1,007,359		1,114,697
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	3,496,168		3,443,013
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	3,496,168		3,443,013
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,503,527		4,557,710
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	169,826		167,215	$ 146,995	$ 159,874
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	222,322		194,621
Current portion of program rights, net	154,238		149,301
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	19,028		8,540
Total current assets	565,414		519,677
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	65,381		47,482
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	186,380		191,258
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	421		436
Deferred carriage fees, net	1,002		578
Intangible assets, net	313,482		286,688
Goodwill	644,093		628,549
Deferred tax asset, net	27,547		20,081
Other assets	420,172		305,822
Total assets	2,223,892		2,000,571
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	63,663		51,565
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	146,022		136,770
Current portion of program rights obligations	70,505		65,545
Deferred revenue	32,559		18,903
Current portion of long-term debt			0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,693		1,908
Total current liabilities	314,442		274,691
Program rights obligations	14,343		22,984
Long-term debt	0		0
Capital lease obligations	21,441		22,532
Deferred tax liability, net	17,509		(5,019)
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	83,122		503,166
Total liabilities	450,857		818,354
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	249,739		218,604
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	1,493,775		934,612
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	29,521		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	1,523,296		963,613
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,223,892		$ 2,000,571