Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 706,342		$ 554,886	$ 416,124		$ 558,783
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	838,287		835,977
Current portion of program rights, net	433,769		440,739
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	166,181		131,809
Total current assets	2,144,579		1,963,411
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	264,616		246,262
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	1,114,038		1,214,051
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	23,320		16,831
Intangible assets, net	557,371		578,907
Goodwill	792,083		798,037
Deferred tax asset, net	48,998		19,272
Operating lease right-of-use asset	175,677		0
Other assets	441,052		441,792
Total assets	5,561,734		5,278,563
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	105,353		107,066
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	231,859		264,918
Current portion of program rights obligations	345,799		343,589
Deferred revenue	56,577		55,424
Current portion of long-term debt	37,500		21,334
Current portion of lease obligations			5,090
Current portion of lease obligations	31,445
Total current liabilities	808,533		797,421
Program rights obligations	289,728		373,249
Long-term debt	3,073,419		3,088,221
Lease obligations			21,427
Lease obligations	223,335
Deferred tax liability, net	135,001		145,443
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	160,417		208,036
Total liabilities	4,690,433		4,633,797
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	302,788		299,558
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	541,820		316,680
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	26,693		28,528
Total stockholders' equity	568,513	$ 484,537	345,208	195,420	$ 261,110	163,945
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	5,561,734		5,278,563
Eliminations
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0		0
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0		0
Current portion of program rights, net	(377)		(218)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(40,876)		(57,219)
Total current assets	(41,253)		(57,437)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	(5,539,406)		(5,311,086)
Program rights, net	(1,337)		(1,613)
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(92)		(190)
Deferred carriage fees, net	0		0
Intangible assets, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Operating lease right-of-use asset	0
Other assets	1,085
Total assets	(5,581,003)		(5,370,326)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(40,876)		(59,050)
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	(629)		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of lease obligations			0
Current portion of lease obligations	0
Total current liabilities	(41,505)		(59,050)
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt	0		0
Lease obligations			0
Lease obligations	0
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	(92)		(190)
Total liabilities	(41,597)		(59,240)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	(5,539,406)		(5,311,086)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	(5,539,406)		(5,311,086)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(5,581,003)		(5,370,326)
Parent Company
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	93		121	2,885		320
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	0		16
Current portion of program rights, net	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(12,513)		6,543
Total current assets	(12,420)		6,680
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	3,865,679		3,656,003
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	9		0
Operating lease right-of-use asset	99,141
Other assets	0		0
Total assets	3,952,409		3,662,683
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	(19)		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	40,572		35,189
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	37,500		18,750
Current portion of lease obligations			0
Current portion of lease obligations	13,643
Total current liabilities	91,696		53,939
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt	3,073,419		3,088,221
Lease obligations			0
Lease obligations	122,332
Deferred tax liability, net	100,226		140,474
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	22,916		63,369
Total liabilities	3,410,589		3,346,003
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	541,820		316,680
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	541,820		316,680
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,952,409		3,662,683
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	486,735		368,151	243,413		391,248
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	578,372		600,121
Current portion of program rights, net	286,888		292,002
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	197,289		158,936
Total current assets	1,549,284		1,419,210
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	197,164		175,040
Investment in affiliates	1,673,727		1,655,083
Program rights, net	876,166		969,802
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	21,261		15,993
Intangible assets, net	156,477		161,417
Goodwill	64,618		65,282
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Operating lease right-of-use asset	18,487
Other assets	165,489		149,724
Total assets	4,722,673		4,611,551
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	34,008		34,630
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	126,975		173,836
Current portion of program rights obligations	255,601		259,414
Deferred revenue	27,708		34,608
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of lease obligations			2,941
Current portion of lease obligations	5,854
Total current liabilities	450,146		505,429
Program rights obligations	273,890		349,814
Long-term debt	0		0
Lease obligations			1,420
Lease obligations	19,989
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	118,159		98,885
Total liabilities	862,184		955,548
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	(5,190)		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	3,865,679		3,656,003
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	3,865,679		3,656,003
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,722,673		4,611,551
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	219,514		186,614	$ 169,826		$ 167,215
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	259,915		235,840
Current portion of program rights, net	147,258		148,955
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	22,281		23,549
Total current assets	648,968		594,958
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	67,452		71,222
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	239,209		245,862
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	92		190
Deferred carriage fees, net	2,059		838
Intangible assets, net	400,894		417,490
Goodwill	727,465		732,755
Deferred tax asset, net	48,989		19,272
Operating lease right-of-use asset	58,049
Other assets	274,478		292,068
Total assets	2,467,655		2,374,655
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	71,364		72,436
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	105,188		114,943
Current portion of program rights obligations	90,198		84,175
Deferred revenue	29,498		20,816
Current portion of long-term debt	0		2,584
Current portion of lease obligations			2,149
Current portion of lease obligations	11,948
Total current liabilities	308,196		297,103
Program rights obligations	15,838		23,435
Long-term debt	0		0
Lease obligations			20,007
Lease obligations	81,014
Deferred tax liability, net	34,775		4,969
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	19,434		45,972
Total liabilities	459,257		391,486
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	307,978		299,558
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	1,673,727		1,655,083
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	26,693		28,528
Total stockholders' equity	1,700,420		1,683,611
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,467,655		$ 2,374,655