Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands									1 Months Ended												3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 23, 2017	Feb. 20, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 20, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2012	Jan. 02, 2012	Apr. 29, 2011 USD ($) item	Feb. 23, 2010	Jan. 01, 2010	Nov. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013	May 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 21, 2012	May 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	May 31, 2010	Jan. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 item	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 item	Dec. 31, 2008 item	Aug. 01, 2014
Related Party Transactions
Capital contribution recorded in additional paid-in-capital for tax credits related to tax-sharing agreement																												$ 3,000
Trade accounts receivable																					$ 815,873					$ 815,873		864,028
Trade accounts payable																					610,931					610,931		470,226
Equipment sales and other revenue																					14,583	$ 29,306				37,160	$ 91,013
Satellite and transmission expenses																					185,254	195,468				539,792	576,752
Cost of sales - equipment and other																					11,352	18,787				35,036	73,087
Subscriber-related expenses																					2,219,188	2,182,117				6,682,761	6,589,372
Noncontrolling interests																					(535)					(535)		(1,000)
General and Administrative Expense																					195,503	186,654				$ 584,344	562,128
Professional Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic Renewal Period																										1 year
EchoStar XVI
Related Party Transactions
Extension of initial term														1 year
Agreement term from commencement of service date															4 years
Term of renewal option															5 years
Additional term of renewal option															5 years
XIP Encryption Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Additional term of renewal option									1 year
Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																										1 year
Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																										180 days
Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Percentage of economic interest in the Hughes Retail Group			80.00%
Percentage of economic interest in the Hughes Retail Group			80.00%
gTLD Agreement [Member]
Related Party Transactions
Amount paid to related party																						1,000
Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Ownership percentage											90.00%
Voting interest (as a percent)											100.00%
Non voting interest											10.00%
Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar | Sling TV Holding L L C
Related Party Transactions
Ownership percentage				67.00%
EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Trade accounts receivable																					1,000					$ 1,000		23,000
Trade accounts payable																					335,000					335,000		$ 281,000
Equipment sales and other revenue																					1,000	13,000				1,000	39,000
Satellite and transmission expenses																					176,000	185,000				512,000	547,000
Subscriber-related expenses																					25,000	24,000				77,000	72,000
General and Administrative Expense																					25,000	26,000				$ 72,000	70,000
EchoStar | Sling TV Holding L L C
Related Party Transactions
Number Of Day Following The Fifth Anniversary Of The Exchange Agreement At When The Fair Value Of Interest Can Be Redeemed											60 days
Non voting interest																															10.00%
EchoStar | Remanufactured Receiver Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination of agreement by related party																										60 days
EchoStar | Professional Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum notice period for termination of a specific service																													30 days
Agreement term																													1 year
EchoStar | Professional Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																													60 days
EchoStar | EchoStar VIII
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement													30 days
EchoStar | 2012 Broadcast Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity					60 days
EchoStar | Certain Sports Related Programming Broadcast Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																			10 years
EchoStar | Nimiq 5 Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																													15 years
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services | item																													32
EchoStar | DISH Nimiq 5 Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																													10 years
Number of DBS transponders currently used | item																													32
EchoStar | QuetzSat-1 Lease Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term from commencement of service date																														10 years
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services | item																														32
EchoStar | QuetzSat-1 Transponder Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Number of DBS transponders currently used | item																														24
Number of transponders subleased | item																							5
EchoStar | 103 degree orbital location member
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term																10 years
Agreement term from commencement of service date												10 years
EchoStar | 2012 TT&C Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																	60 days
Agreement term																										1 year
EchoStar | Application Development Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																								1 year
Notice period for termination of agreement																								90 days
EchoStar | XIP Encryption Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Notice period to exercise option to extend agreement																									180 days
EchoStar | XIP Encryption Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement																									30 days
EchoStar | 2012 Receiver Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Purchased set-top boxes and other equipment from EchoStar																					154,000	154,000				$ 584,000	570,000
One-time contribution from related party toward the settlement										$ 5,000
EchoStar | 2012 Receiver Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																	60 days
EchoStar | Product Support Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																										60 days
EchoStar | DISH Online.com Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period																				1 year
Agreement term								2 years
Term of renewal option exercised									1 year
EchoStar | DISH Online.com Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity																				120 days
EchoStar | DISH Remote Access Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period							1 year
Agreement term							5 years
EchoStar | DISH Remote Access Services Agreement | Forecast
Related Party Transactions
Additional renewal period	1 year
EchoStar | DISH Remote Access Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity							120 days
EchoStar | Sling Service Services Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Agreement term							5 years
EchoStar | Sling Service Services Agreement | Forecast
Related Party Transactions
Automatic renewal period	1 year
EchoStar | Sling Service Services Agreement | Minimum
Related Party Transactions
Minimum required notice period for termination by the reporting entity							120 days
EchoStar | Patent Cross-License Agreements | Maximum
Related Party Transactions
Payments to third party by related party under extension option																		$ 3,000
Payments to third party																		$ 10,000
EchoStar | El Paso Lease Agreement (Member)
Related Party Transactions
Term of renewal option																										3 years
Number of consecutive three year renewal options | item																										4
EchoStar | EchoStar XV
Related Party Transactions
Notice period for termination of agreement													30 days
EchoStar | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Historical cost of tracking stock		$ 229,000
EchoStar | Sling TV Exchange Transaction with EchoStar
Related Party Transactions
Noncontrolling Interest Percentage											33.30%
Noncontrolling interests											$ 6,000
Non Voting Interest Value											$ 14,000
HNS | Hughes Broadband Distribution Agreement
Related Party Transactions
Broadband equipment purchased from related parties																					$ 2,000	$ 3,000				$ 7,000	$ 7,000
EchoStar and HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction
Related Party Transactions
Transfer of liabilities and other		59,000	$ 59,000
Capital transaction		356,000
Cash in exchange for shares of series of preferred tracking stock issued		11,000	$ 11,000
Capital transaction recorded in additional paid-in capital		$ 51,000
EchoStar and HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Tracking stock prohibited transfer period			1 year
EchoStar and HSSC | Investor Rights Agreement | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Tracking stock prohibited transfer period		1 year
HSSC | Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction | DISH Investors
Related Party Transactions
Historical cost of tracking stock		$ 87,000
DISH Network | TiVo vs Dish Network and EchoStar Corporation
Related Party Transactions
Aggregate of six annual installment amounts between 2012 and 2017						$ 200,000
Estimated percentage of annual future payments payable by the company						95.00%
Settlement amount						$ 500,000
Initial settlement amount paid						$ 300,000
Litigation settlement number of annual installments | item						6
Contribution from related party						$ 10,000