Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Comprehensive Income) (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 Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
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
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment									(41,716)	76,023	(45,426)
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swaps									(356)	(35)	22
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss									(370)	0	0
Unrealized gain on available for sale securities									0	5,398	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), before income taxes									(42,442)	81,386	(45,404)
Income tax expense									45	(1,974)	(12,337)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes									(42,397)	79,412	(57,741)
Comprehensive income									421,570	569,049	232,222
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(16,044)	(21,430)	(16,491)
Comprehensive income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									405,526	547,619	$ 215,731
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income including noncontrolling interests									(767,346)	(761,790)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment									41,716	(76,023)
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swaps									0	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss									0
Unrealized gain on available for sale securities										0
Other comprehensive income (loss), before income taxes									41,716	(76,023)
Income tax expense									0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes									41,716	(76,023)
Comprehensive income									(725,630)	(837,813)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									(725,630)	(837,813)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income including noncontrolling interests									446,187	471,316
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment									(41,716)	76,023
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swaps									(356)	(35)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss									(370)
Unrealized gain on available for sale securities										5,398
Other comprehensive income (loss), before income taxes									(42,442)	81,386
Income tax expense									45	(1,974)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes									(42,397)	79,412
Comprehensive income									403,790	550,728
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									403,790	550,728
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income including noncontrolling interests									734,472	748,430
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment									0	0
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swaps									0	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss									0
Unrealized gain on available for sale securities										0
Other comprehensive income (loss), before income taxes									0	0
Income tax expense									0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes									0	0
Comprehensive income									734,472	748,430
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									734,472	748,430
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income including noncontrolling interests									50,654	31,681
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment									(41,716)	76,023
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate swaps									0	0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss									0
Unrealized gain on available for sale securities										0
Other comprehensive income (loss), before income taxes									(41,716)	76,023
Income tax expense									0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes									(41,716)	76,023
Comprehensive income									8,938	107,704
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(16,044)	(21,430)
Comprehensive income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders									$ (7,106)	$ 86,274