Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	$ 772,299,000	$ 761,385,000	$ 1,556,520,000	$ 1,502,208,000
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	385,623,000	376,809,000	725,771,000	697,174,000
Selling, general and administrative	173,364,000	171,376,000	345,876,000	337,825,000
Depreciation and amortization	25,893,000	21,669,000	49,949,000	42,023,000
Restructuring and other related charges	17,162,000	0	19,804,000	0
Total operating expenses	602,042,000	569,854,000	1,141,400,000	1,077,022,000
Operating income	170,257,000	191,531,000	415,120,000	425,186,000
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(34,971,000)	(33,933,000)	(70,416,000)	(67,119,000)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Miscellaneous, net	(2,697,000)	(14,719,000)	(15,482,000)	2,227,000
Total other income (expense)	(37,668,000)	(48,652,000)	(85,898,000)	(64,892,000)
Income from operations before income taxes	132,589,000	142,879,000	329,222,000	360,294,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	1,396,000	(32,547,000)	(45,080,000)	(89,426,000)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	133,985,000	110,332,000	284,142,000	270,868,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,242,000)	(4,151,000)	(12,002,000)	(7,817,000)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	128,743,000	106,181,000	272,140,000	263,051,000
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	(5,629,000)	(3,883,000)	(8,398,000)	(8,363,000)
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(1,103,000)	(1,114,000)	(2,161,000)	(1,892,000)
Selling, general and administrative	(4,422,000)	(2,773,000)	(6,322,000)	(6,472,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other related charges	0		0
Total operating expenses	(5,525,000)	(3,887,000)	(8,483,000)	(8,364,000)
Operating income	(104,000)	4,000	85,000	1,000
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Share of affiliates' income	(177,974,000)	(168,041,000)	(394,907,000)	(433,021,000)
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Miscellaneous, net	104,000	(4,000)	(85,000)	(1,000)
Total other income (expense)	(177,870,000)	(168,045,000)	(394,992,000)	(433,022,000)
Income from operations before income taxes	(177,974,000)	(168,041,000)	(394,907,000)	(433,021,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income including noncontrolling interests	(177,974,000)	(168,041,000)	(394,907,000)	(433,021,000)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	(177,974,000)	(168,041,000)	(394,907,000)	(433,021,000)
Parent Company
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other related charges	0		0
Total operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(39,028,000)	(37,834,000)	(77,957,000)	(74,741,000)
Share of affiliates' income	162,140,000	172,233,000	386,384,000	419,715,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Miscellaneous, net	(41,000)	259,000	(140,000)	53,000
Total other income (expense)	123,071,000	134,658,000	308,287,000	345,027,000
Income from operations before income taxes	123,071,000	134,658,000	308,287,000	345,027,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	5,672,000	(28,477,000)	(36,147,000)	(81,976,000)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	128,743,000	106,181,000	272,140,000	263,051,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	128,743,000	106,181,000	272,140,000	263,051,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	517,109,000	549,262,000	1,091,339,000	1,124,179,000
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	233,579,000	248,181,000	454,067,000	470,802,000
Selling, general and administrative	109,447,000	120,463,000	221,028,000	242,522,000
Depreciation and amortization	12,587,000	11,175,000	25,124,000	21,979,000
Restructuring and other related charges	16,575,000		16,292,000
Total operating expenses	372,188,000	379,819,000	716,511,000	735,303,000
Operating income	144,921,000	169,443,000	374,828,000	388,876,000
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	3,723,000	11,715,000	6,906,000	23,612,000
Share of affiliates' income	15,834,000	(4,192,000)	8,523,000	13,306,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Miscellaneous, net	100,000	(2,504,000)	809,000	(1,770,000)
Total other income (expense)	19,657,000	5,019,000	16,238,000	35,148,000
Income from operations before income taxes	164,578,000	174,462,000	391,066,000	424,024,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,438,000)	(2,229,000)	(4,682,000)	(4,309,000)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	162,140,000	172,233,000	386,384,000	419,715,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	162,140,000	172,233,000	386,384,000	419,715,000
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues, net	260,819,000	216,006,000	473,579,000	386,392,000
Operating expenses
Technical and operating (excluding depreciation and amortization)	153,147,000	129,742,000	273,865,000	228,264,000
Selling, general and administrative	68,339,000	53,686,000	131,170,000	101,775,000
Depreciation and amortization	13,306,000	10,494,000	24,825,000	20,044,000
Restructuring and other related charges	587,000		3,512,000
Total operating expenses	235,379,000	193,922,000	433,372,000	350,083,000
Operating income	25,440,000	22,084,000	40,207,000	36,309,000
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	334,000	(7,814,000)	635,000	(15,990,000)
Share of affiliates' income	0	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt				0
Miscellaneous, net	(2,860,000)	(12,470,000)	(16,066,000)	3,945,000
Total other income (expense)	(2,526,000)	(20,284,000)	(15,431,000)	(12,045,000)
Income from operations before income taxes	22,914,000	1,800,000	24,776,000	24,264,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,838,000)	(1,841,000)	(4,251,000)	(3,141,000)
Net income including noncontrolling interests	21,076,000	(41,000)	20,525,000	21,123,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5,242,000)	(4,151,000)	(12,002,000)	(7,817,000)
Net income attributable to AMC Networks' stockholders	$ 15,834,000	$ (4,192,000)	$ 8,523,000	$ 13,306,000