Commitments and Contingencies - Part 2 (Details)							1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 05, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2017 USD ($)	May 22, 2017 $ / item	Sep. 23, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 22, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 23, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) item	Aug. 18, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 05, 2017 USD ($)
Loss contingencies
Total rent expense for operating leases											$ 383,000,000	$ 407,000,000	$ 409,000,000
Litigation Expense												$ 295,695,000	21,148,000
Turner Network Sales, Inc.
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount		$ 183,000,000
Satellite transponder guarantees
Loss contingencies
Guarantees for payments											$ 53,000,000
Northstar Spectrum And SNR Holdco | AWS-3 Licenses
Loss contingencies
Interim Build-out Requirement (as a percent)											40.00%
Final Build-out Requirement (as a percent)											75.00%
Accelerated period to meet Final Build-Out Requirement on failure to meet Interim Build-Out Requirement											2 years
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit											25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit				25.00%
Recovery amount				$ 10,000,000,000
Bidding Credit				$ 3,300,000,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Minimum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount					$ 5,500
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | AWS-3 Licenses | Maximum | Vermont National Telephone Company [Member]
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount					$ 11,000
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | SNR Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit								25.00%
Northstar Wireless or Northstar Spectrum | Northstar Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Bidding Credit								$ 1,961,000,000
SNR Wireless or SNR Wireless Holdco | SNR Licenses
Loss contingency terms
Percentage Of Bidding Credit											25.00%
Bidding Credit								$ 1,370,000,000
Lightsquared Harbinger Capital Partners LLC
Loss contingencies
Business days allowed to terminate existing agreements											3 days
Do Not Call Litigation
Loss contingencies
Period of injunctive relief sought from placing any outbound telemarketing calls to market or promote its goods or services											5 years
Number Of Telemarketing Calls | item							51,119
Litigation Per Call Damages							$ 400
Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum | OHIO
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff							10,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum | CALIFORNIA
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff							100,000,000
Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum | Illinois And North Carolina [Member]
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff							$ 1,000,000,000
Krakauer Action
Loss contingencies
Litigation Expense									$ 20,000,000		$ 41,000,000
Third party Number Of Calls Made In Case Trebled Damages Per Call | $ / item			1,200
Settlement amount awarded to other party	$ 61,000,000
Krakauer Action | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual											61,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation
Loss contingencies
Damages awarded to state and federal plaintiff														$ 280,000,000
Litigation Expense										$ 255,000,000			$ 25,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Telemarketing Litigation | Other Accrued Expense
Loss contingencies
Litigation accrual											280,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Do Not Call Litigation
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from state plaintiff											23,500,000,000
Loss contingency terms
Claim amount						$ 270,000,000
DISH Network L.L.C. | Do Not Call Litigation | Maximum
Loss contingencies
Claim amount from federal plaintiff											$ 900,000,000