Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net (including revenues, net from related parties of $5,578, $6,168 and $15,873, respectively)	$ 772,846	$ 696,875	$ 761,385	$ 740,823	$ 726,934	$ 648,023	$ 710,545	$ 720,189	$ 2,971,929	$ 2,805,691	$ 2,755,654
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									1,445,949	1,341,076	1,279,984
Selling, general and administrative									657,457	613,342	636,028
Restructuring expense									45,847	6,128	29,503
Depreciation and amortization									91,281	94,638	84,778
Impairment and related charges									4,486	28,148	67,805
Total operating expenses	635,722	532,276	569,854	507,168	565,390	494,669	534,755	488,518	2,245,020	2,083,332	2,098,098
Operating income	137,124	164,599	191,531	233,655	161,544	153,354	175,790	231,671	726,909	722,359	657,556
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									(135,813)	(119,297)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	(3,004)	(50,639)
Miscellaneous, net									29,177	40,320	(33,524)
Total other income (expense)									(106,636)	(81,981)	(202,731)
Income from operations before income taxes									620,273	640,378	454,825
Income tax (expense) benefit									(156,306)	(150,741)	(164,862)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	76,439	116,660	110,332	160,536	148,544	90,836	107,626	142,631	463,967	489,637	289,963
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(17,780)	(18,321)	(19,453)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	$ 71,879	$ 111,257	$ 106,181	$ 156,870	$ 145,499	$ 87,002	$ 102,598	$ 136,217	446,187	471,316	$ 270,510
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net (including revenues, net from related parties of $5,578, $6,168 and $15,873, respectively)									(15,289)	(14,999)
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									(4,074)	(3,188)
Selling, general and administrative									(10,031)	(12,108)
Restructuring expense									0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0
Impairment and related charges										0
Total operating expenses									(14,105)	(15,296)
Operating income									(1,184)	297
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									0	0
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									(767,346)	(761,790)
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0
Miscellaneous, net									1,184	(297)
Total other income (expense)									(766,162)	(762,087)
Income from operations before income taxes									(767,346)	(761,790)
Income tax (expense) benefit									0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests									(767,346)	(761,790)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									(767,346)	(761,790)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net (including revenues, net from related parties of $5,578, $6,168 and $15,873, respectively)									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									(151,751)	(129,971)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									734,472	748,430
Loss on extinguishment of debt										(3,004)
Miscellaneous, net									(151)	(1,530)
Total other income (expense)									582,570	613,925
Income from operations before income taxes									582,570	613,925
Income tax (expense) benefit									(136,383)	(142,609)
Net income including noncontrolling interests									446,187	471,316
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									446,187	471,316
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net (including revenues, net from related parties of $5,578, $6,168 and $15,873, respectively)									2,166,686	2,182,867
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									956,272	991,476
Selling, general and administrative									450,880	447,118
Restructuring expense									29,277	2,566
Depreciation and amortization									45,204	40,923
Impairment and related charges									0	0
Total operating expenses									1,481,633	1,482,083
Operating income									685,053	700,784
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									28,460	41,934
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									32,874	13,360
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0
Miscellaneous, net									(1,876)	2,484
Total other income (expense)									59,458	57,778
Income from operations before income taxes									744,511	758,562
Income tax (expense) benefit									(10,039)	(10,132)
Net income including noncontrolling interests									734,472	748,430
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									734,472	748,430
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net (including revenues, net from related parties of $5,578, $6,168 and $15,873, respectively)									820,532	637,823
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)									493,751	352,788
Selling, general and administrative									216,608	178,332
Restructuring expense									16,570	3,562
Depreciation and amortization									46,077	53,715
Impairment and related charges									4,486	28,148
Total operating expenses									777,492	616,545
Operating income									43,040	21,278
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net									(12,522)	(31,260)
Share of affiliates' income (loss)									0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0
Miscellaneous, net									30,020	39,663
Total other income (expense)									17,498	8,403
Income from operations before income taxes									60,538	29,681
Income tax (expense) benefit									(9,884)	2,000
Net income including noncontrolling interests									50,654	31,681
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(17,780)	(18,321)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									$ 32,874	$ 13,360