Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 773,386		$ 554,886	$ 564,717		$ 558,783
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	807,481		835,977
Current portion of program rights, net	456,288		440,739
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	187,755		131,809
Total current assets	2,224,910		1,963,411
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	269,287		246,262
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	1,051,068		1,214,051
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	17,332		16,831
Intangible assets, net	540,365		578,907
Goodwill	782,234		798,037
Deferred tax asset, net	61,376		19,272
Operating lease right-of-use asset	172,575		0
Other assets	499,062		441,792
Total assets	5,618,209		5,278,563
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	123,838		107,066
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	238,937		264,918
Current portion of program rights obligations	310,688		343,589
Deferred revenue	65,725		55,424
Current portion of long-term debt	47,875		21,334
Current portion of lease obligations			5,090
Current portion of lease obligations	33,349
Total current liabilities	820,412		797,421
Program rights obligations	284,424		373,249
Long-term debt	3,056,692		3,088,221
Lease obligations			21,427
Lease obligations	215,251
Deferred tax liability, net	122,384		145,443
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	159,641		208,036
Total liabilities	4,658,804		4,633,797
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	304,606		299,558
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	628,124		316,680
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	26,675		28,528
Total stockholders' equity	654,799	$ 568,513	345,208	291,639	$ 195,420	163,945
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	5,618,209		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	(635)		(218)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(48,828)		(57,219)
Total current assets	(49,463)		(57,437)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	(5,520,182)		(5,311,086)
Program rights, net	(1,154)		(1,613)
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	(54)		(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	1,206
Total assets	(5,569,647)		(5,370,326)
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	(48,828)		(59,050)
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	(583)		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of lease obligations			0
Current portion of lease obligations	0
Total current liabilities	(49,411)		(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	(54)		(190)
Total liabilities	(49,465)		(59,240)
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	(5,520,182)		(5,311,086)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	(5,520,182)		(5,311,086)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(5,569,647)		(5,370,326)
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	437		121	25,127		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	(24,284)		6,543
Total current assets	(23,847)		6,680
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0		0
Investment in affiliates	3,884,536		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	96,722
Other assets	45,436		0
Total assets	4,002,856		3,662,683
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	24,986		0
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	19,059		35,189
Current portion of program rights obligations	0		0
Deferred revenue	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	46,875		18,750
Current portion of lease obligations			0
Current portion of lease obligations	13,847
Total current liabilities	104,767		53,939
Program rights obligations	0		0
Long-term debt	3,056,692		3,088,221
Lease obligations			0
Lease obligations	118,809
Deferred tax liability, net	74,687		140,474
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	19,777		63,369
Total liabilities	3,374,732		3,346,003
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	628,124		316,680
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	628,124		316,680
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,002,856		3,662,683
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	552,653		368,151	360,124		391,248
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	543,065		600,121
Current portion of program rights, net	296,682		292,002
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	246,542		158,936
Total current assets	1,638,942		1,419,210
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	204,599		175,040
Investment in affiliates	1,635,646		1,655,083
Program rights, net	815,763		969,802
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	0		0
Deferred carriage fees, net	15,814		15,993
Intangible assets, net	154,008		161,417
Goodwill	64,286		65,282
Deferred tax asset, net	0		0
Operating lease right-of-use asset	20,213
Other assets	169,686		149,724
Total assets	4,718,957		4,611,551
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	29,919		34,630
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	116,208		173,836
Current portion of program rights obligations	242,545		259,414
Deferred revenue	36,303		34,608
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Current portion of lease obligations			2,941
Current portion of lease obligations	7,027
Total current liabilities	432,002		505,429
Program rights obligations	270,171		349,814
Long-term debt	0		0
Lease obligations			1,420
Lease obligations	19,718
Deferred tax liability, net	0		0
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	117,719		98,885
Total liabilities	839,610		955,548
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	(5,189)		0
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	3,884,536		3,656,003
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders' equity	3,884,536		3,656,003
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,718,957		4,611,551
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	220,296		186,614	$ 179,466		$ 167,215
Accounts receivable, trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	264,416		235,840
Current portion of program rights, net	160,241		148,955
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	14,325		23,549
Total current assets	659,278		594,958
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	64,688		71,222
Investment in affiliates	0		0
Program rights, net	236,459		245,862
Long-term intercompany notes receivable	54		190
Deferred carriage fees, net	1,518		838
Intangible assets, net	386,357		417,490
Goodwill	717,948		732,755
Deferred tax asset, net	61,367		19,272
Operating lease right-of-use asset	55,640
Other assets	282,734		292,068
Total assets	2,466,043		2,374,655
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	68,933		72,436
Accrued liabilities and intercompany payable	152,498		114,943
Current portion of program rights obligations	68,143		84,175
Deferred revenue	30,005		20,816
Current portion of long-term debt	1,000		2,584
Current portion of lease obligations			2,149
Current portion of lease obligations	12,475
Total current liabilities	333,054		297,103
Program rights obligations	14,253		23,435
Long-term debt	0		0
Lease obligations			20,007
Lease obligations	76,724
Deferred tax liability, net	47,697		4,969
Other liabilities and intercompany notes payable	22,199		45,972
Total liabilities	493,927		391,486
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	309,795		299,558
Stockholders' equity:
AMC Networks stockholders' equity	1,635,646		1,655,083
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	26,675		28,528
Total stockholders' equity	1,662,321		1,683,611
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,466,043		$ 2,374,655