Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Property and equipment
Construction in progress	$ 455,186,000	$ 716,486,000
Total property and equipment	4,952,494,000	4,457,421,000
Accumulated depreciation	(2,340,210,000)	(2,003,875,000)
Property and equipment, net	2,612,284,000	2,453,546,000
Accumulated depreciation on satellites acquired under capital leases	362,000,000	302,000,000
Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	40 years
Land
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	42,312,000	41,516,000
Buildings and improvements
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	363,338,000	350,041,000
Buildings and improvements | Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Buildings and improvements | Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	40 years
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	1,064,071,000	947,647,000
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other | Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Furniture, fixtures, equipment and other | Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	12 years
Customer rental equipment
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	251,708,000	158,371,000
Customer rental equipment | Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	1 year
Customer rental equipment | Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	5 years
EchoStar III - fully depreciated
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	234,083,000	234,083,000
Depreciable Life	12 years
EchoStar IV - fully depreciated
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	78,511,000	78,511,000
EchoStar VI - fully depreciated
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	244,305,000	244,305,000
Depreciable Life	12 years
EchoStar VIII
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	175,801,000	175,801,000
Depreciable Life	12 years
EchoStar IX
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	127,376,000	127,376,000
Depreciable Life	12 years
EchoStar XII
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	190,051,000	190,051,000
Depreciable Life	10 years
EchoStar XVII
Property and equipment
Construction in progress		365,721,000
Total property and equipment	503,941,000
Depreciable Life	15 years
SPACEWAY 3
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	286,707,000	286,707,000
Depreciable Life	12 years
Satellites acquired under capital leases
Property and equipment
Total property and equipment	$ 935,104,000	$ 906,526,000
Satellites acquired under capital leases | Minimum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	10 years
Satellites acquired under capital leases | Maximum
Property and equipment
Depreciable Life	15 years