Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 564,717		$ 558,783	$ 552,289	$ 481,389
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	777,950		775,891
Current portion of program rights, net	470,254		453,450
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	118,569		91,726
Total current assets	1,931,490	$ 1,883,508	1,879,850
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	225,468		183,514
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	1,152,451		1,319,279
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	20,191		29,924
Intangible assets, net	469,757		457,242
Goodwill	705,382		695,158
Deferred tax asset, net	21,677		20,081
Other assets	635,541		447,937
Total assets	5,161,957	5,052,884	5,032,985
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	97,508		102,197
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	240,892		263,076
Current portion of program rights obligations	356,157		327,549
Deferred revenue	61,289		46,433
Current portion of long-term debt	9,375		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	4,649		4,847
Total current liabilities	769,870	744,937	744,102
Program rights obligations	397,592		534,980
Long-term debt	3,095,628		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	22,422		26,277
Deferred tax liability, net	154,110		109,698
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	178,160		136,122
Total liabilities	4,617,782	$ 4,657,551	4,650,436
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	252,536		218,604
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	263,006		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,633		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	291,639		163,945
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	5,161,957		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	(88,193)		(104,389)
Total current assets	(88,193)		(104,389)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	(5,174,903)		(4,377,625)
Program rights, net	0		0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(46,289)		(490,375)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0		0
Intangible assets, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Other assets	0
Total assets	(5,309,385)		(4,972,389)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(88,193)		(104,389)
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	(88,193)		(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	(46,289)		(490,375)
Total liabilities	(134,482)		(594,764)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	(5,174,903)		(4,377,625)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	(5,174,903)		(4,377,625)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(5,309,385)		(4,972,389)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	25,127		320	268	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	2,174		3,760
Total current assets	27,301		4,080
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	3,590,449		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	3,617,750		3,447,093
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	6		350
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	56,373		51,692
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	9,375		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0		0
Total current liabilities	65,754		52,042
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt	3,095,628		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	0		0
Deferred tax liability, net	142,041		114,717
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	51,321		46,133
Total liabilities	3,354,744		3,312,149
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	263,006		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	263,006		134,944
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,617,750		3,447,093
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	360,124		391,248	402,762	320,950
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	544,083		581,270
Current portion of program rights, net	308,039		304,149
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	184,253		183,815
Total current assets	1,396,499		1,460,482
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	158,651		136,032
Investment in affiliates	1,584,454		934,612
Program rights, net	980,299		1,128,021
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	45,986		489,939
Deferred carriage fees, net	19,331		29,346
Intangible assets, net	163,886		170,554
Goodwill	65,626		66,609
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Other assets	167,548		142,115
Total assets	4,582,280		4,557,710
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	33,716		50,282
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	153,174		179,003
Current portion of program rights obligations	291,059		262,004
Deferred revenue	32,734		27,530
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,749		2,939
Total current liabilities	513,432		521,758
Program rights obligations	385,640		511,996
Long-term debt	0		0
Capital lease obligations	1,751		3,745
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	91,008		77,198
Total liabilities	991,831		1,114,697
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	3,590,449		3,443,013
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	3,590,449		3,443,013
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,582,280		4,557,710
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	179,466		167,215	$ 149,259	$ 159,874
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	233,867		194,621
Current portion of program rights, net	162,215		149,301
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	20,335		8,540
Total current assets	595,883		519,677
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	66,817		47,482
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	172,152		191,258
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	303		436
Deferred carriage fees, net	860		578
Intangible assets, net	305,871		286,688
Goodwill	639,756		628,549
Deferred tax asset, net	21,677		20,081
Other assets	467,993		305,822
Total assets	2,271,312		2,000,571
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	63,786		51,565
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	119,538		136,770
Current portion of program rights obligations	65,098		65,545
Deferred revenue	28,555		18,903
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,900		1,908
Total current liabilities	278,877		274,691
Program rights obligations	11,952		22,984
Long-term debt	0		0
Capital lease obligations	20,671		22,532
Deferred tax liability, net	12,069		(5,019)
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	82,120		503,166
Total liabilities	405,689		818,354
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	252,536		218,604
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	1,584,454		934,612
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,633		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	1,613,087		963,613
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,271,312		$ 2,000,571