Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 554,886		$ 558,783	$ 481,389	$ 316,321
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	835,977		775,891
Current portion of program rights, net	440,739		443,604
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	131,809		91,726
Total current assets	1,963,411	$ 1,883,508	1,870,004
Property and equipment, net	246,262		183,514
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	1,214,051		1,329,125
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	16,831		29,924
Intangible assets, net	578,907		457,242
Goodwill	798,037		695,158	657,708
Deferred tax assets, net	19,272		20,081
Other assets	441,792		447,937
Total assets	5,278,563	5,052,884	5,032,985
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	107,066		102,197
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	264,918		263,076
Current portion of program rights obligations	343,589		327,549
Deferred revenue	55,424		46,433
Current portion of long-term debt	21,334		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	5,090		4,847
Total current liabilities	797,421	744,937	744,102
Program rights obligations	373,249		534,980
Long-term debt, net	3,088,221		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	21,427		26,277
Deferred tax liability, net	145,443		109,698
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	208,036		136,122
Total liabilities	4,633,797	$ 4,657,551	4,650,436
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	299,558		218,604	219,331
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	316,680		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,528		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	345,208		163,945	(1,644)	$ (8,638)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	5,278,563		5,032,985
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	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	(218)		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(57,219)		(104,389)
Total current assets	(57,437)		(104,389)
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investment in affiliates	(5,311,086)		(4,377,625)
Program rights, net	(1,613)		0
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(190)		(490,375)
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	(5,370,326)		(4,972,389)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(59,050)		(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	(59,050)		(104,389)
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt, net	0		0
Capital lease obligations	0		0
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(190)		(490,375)
Total liabilities	(59,240)		(594,764)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	(5,311,086)		(4,377,625)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	(5,311,086)		(4,377,625)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(5,370,326)		(4,972,389)
Parent Company [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	121		320	565
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	16		0
Current portion of program rights, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	6,543		3,760
Total current assets	6,680		4,080
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investment in affiliates	3,656,003		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 assets, net	0		0
Other assets	0		0
Total assets	3,662,683		3,447,093
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		350
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	35,189		51,692
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	18,750		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	0		0
Total current liabilities	53,939		52,042
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt, net	3,088,221		3,099,257
Capital lease obligations	0		0
Deferred tax liability, net	140,474		114,717
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	63,369		46,133
Total liabilities	3,346,003		3,312,149
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	316,680		134,944
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	316,680		134,944
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,662,683		3,447,093
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	368,151		391,248	320,950
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	600,121		581,270
Current portion of program rights, net	292,002		294,303
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	158,936		183,815
Total current assets	1,419,210		1,450,636
Property and equipment, net	175,040		136,032
Investment in affiliates	1,655,083		934,612
Program rights, net	969,802		1,137,867
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		489,939
Deferred carriage fees, net	15,993		29,346
Intangible assets, net	161,417		170,554
Goodwill	65,282		66,609
Deferred tax assets, net	0		0
Other assets	149,724		142,115
Total assets	4,611,551		4,557,710
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	34,630		50,282
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	173,836		179,003
Current portion of program rights obligations	259,414		262,004
Deferred revenue	34,608		27,530
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,941		2,939
Total current liabilities	505,429		521,758
Program rights obligations	349,814		511,996
Long-term debt, net	0		0
Capital lease obligations	1,420		3,745
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	98,885		77,198
Total liabilities	955,548		1,114,697
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	3,656,003		3,443,013
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	3,656,003		3,443,013
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,611,551		4,557,710
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	186,614		167,215	$ 159,874
Accounts receivable, trade (including amounts due from related parties, net, less allowance for doubtful accounts)	235,840		194,621
Current portion of program rights, net	148,955		149,301
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	23,549		8,540
Total current assets	594,958		519,677
Property and equipment, net	71,222		47,482
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	245,862		191,258
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	190		436
Deferred carriage fees, net	838		578
Intangible assets, net	417,490		286,688
Goodwill	732,755		628,549
Deferred tax assets, net	19,272		20,081
Other assets	292,068		305,822
Total assets	2,374,655		2,000,571
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	72,436		51,565
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	114,943		136,770
Current portion of program rights obligations	84,175		65,545
Deferred revenue	20,816		18,903
Current portion of long-term debt	2,584		0
Current portion of capital lease obligations	2,149		1,908
Total current liabilities	297,103		274,691
Program rights obligations	23,435		22,984
Long-term debt, net	0		0
Capital lease obligations	20,007		22,532
Deferred tax liability, net	4,969		(5,019)
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	45,972		503,166
Total liabilities	391,486		818,354
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	299,558		218,604
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	1,655,083		934,612
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	28,528		29,001
Total stockholders' equity	1,683,611		963,613
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,374,655		$ 2,000,571