Represents the number of subscribers of DISH branded pay TV services.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	dish_
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- Definition

Represent the amount of payment for remaining balance of the winning bid price.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Portion of equity (net assets) in a variable interest entity (VIE) not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the parent entity. That is, this is the portion of equity in a VIE that is attributable to the noncontrolling interest (previously referred to as minority interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The cash outflow to acquire asset without physical form usually arising from contractual or other legal rights, excluding goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_DishTvMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dish_WirelessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Organization and Business Activities (Details) item in Thousands, $ in Millions			12 Months Ended	84 Months Ended	120 Months Ended
	May 11, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) segment item	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) item
Spectrum Investments
Number of primary operating business units \| segment			2
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item			13,242		13,242
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets				$ 11,000.0	$ 21,000.0
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries			$ 10,000.0		$ 10,000.0
Sling TV Holding L.L.C.
Spectrum Investments
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item			2,212		2,212
Dish TV
Spectrum Investments
Number of Pay-TV subscribers \| item			11,030		11,030
Wireless
Spectrum Investments
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets				$ 11,000.0	$ 11,000.0
Auction 1000 [Member] \| FCC Wireless Bureau [Member]
Spectrum Investments
Payment to acquire certain wireless licenses and related assets		$ 1,500.0
Payment Of Winning Bid Remaining Balance	$ 4,711.0
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco
Spectrum Investments
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries			$ 10,000.0		10,000.0
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco \| Wireless
Spectrum Investments
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries			10,000.0		10,000.0
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum
Spectrum Investments
Total debt and equity investments in subsidiaries			$ 10,000.0		$ 10,000.0