Long-Term Debt - Fair Value of Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 18,147,328	$ 17,147,844
Fair Value	19,750,978	18,451,764
Unamortized deferred financing costs and debt	(54,539)	(52,704)
Capital Lease obligations	132,191	140,885
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations (including current portion)	17,235,117	16,483,639
3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026
Debt Instrument
Unamortized debt discount on the 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026	$ (989,863)	$ (752,386)
Interest rate (as a percent)	3.375%	3.375%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 4 5/8% Senior Notes due 2017
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 900,000	$ 900,000
Fair Value	$ 907,551	$ 913,887
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.625%	4.625%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 4 1/4% Senior Notes due 2018
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,200,000	$ 1,200,000
Fair Value	$ 1,223,124	$ 1,228,464
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.25%	4.25%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2019
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,400,000	$ 1,400,000
Fair Value	$ 1,549,660	$ 1,559,698
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.875%	7.875%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 5 1/8% Senior Notes due 2020
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,100,000	$ 1,100,000
Fair Value	$ 1,148,400	$ 1,141,866
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.125%	5.125%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2021
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 2,167,660	$ 2,178,880
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.75%	6.75%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 2,104,780	$ 2,114,780
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.875%	5.875%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 5% Senior Notes due 2023
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,500,000	$ 1,500,000
Fair Value	$ 1,512,315	$ 1,500,315
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.00%	5.00%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 5 7/8% Senior Notes due 2024
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 2,106,020	$ 2,064,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.875%	5.875%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 2 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2024
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 1,000,000
Fair Value	$ 1,027,200
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.375%	2.375%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 7 3/4% Senior Notes due 2026
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Fair Value	$ 2,334,200	$ 2,270,900
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.75%	7.75%
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| 3 3/8% Convertible Notes due 2026
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	$ 3,000,000	$ 3,000,000
Fair Value	3,622,740	3,431,130
DISH DBS Corporation ("DDBS") \| Other notes payable
Debt Instrument
Carrying Value	47,328	47,844
Fair Value	$ 47,328	$ 47,844

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

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Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

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Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt discount.

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The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

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