Balance Sheet Components (Components of Content Library) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Total content assets, net	$ 14,681,989	$ 11,000,808
Current content assets, net	4,310,934	3,726,307
Non-current content assets, net	$ 10,371,055	7,274,501
Average produced content asset amortization percentage (more than)	0.90
Average produced content asset amortization period (in years)	4 years
Average unamortized cost percentage (more than)	30.00%
Average amortization period of unamortized cost at balance sheet date (in years)	1 year
Produced content, amortization period, tranche one (in years)	1 year
Produced content, amortization period, tranche two (in years)	3 years
Produced content, amortization period, tranche three (in years)	4 years
Licensed Content [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	$ 11,771,778	9,595,315
Produced Content [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	1,427,256	335,400
In production	1,311,137	1,010,463
In development and pre-production	158,517	34,215
Total content assets, net	$ 2,896,910	1,380,078
Produced content amortization period tranche one, percent	29.00%
Produced content amortization period tranche two, percent	78.00%
Produced content amortization period tranche three, percent	80.00%
DVD [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	$ 13,301	$ 25,415