CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 79,675	$ 141,762
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	391,598	370,872
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates, net	(14,461)	(11,181)
Gain and impairment on investments, net	(30,664)	(8,179)
Stock-based compensation	7,169	11,953
Deferred tax provision	7,924	71,422
Dividends received from unconsolidated entities	15,000	15,000
Proceeds from sale of trading securities	8,922	7,140
Changes in current assets and current liabilities, net	144,677	(47,013)
Changes in noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities, net	(23,474)	8,097
Other, net	5,570	14,836
Net cash flows from operating activities	591,936	574,709
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of marketable investment securities	(319,912)	(883,288)
Sales and maturities of marketable investment securities	376,648	643,865
Expenditures for property and equipment	(422,661)	(533,669)
Refunds and other receipts related to capital expenditures	0	24,087
Changes in restricted cash and marketable investment securities	(810)	7,351
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0	(1,636)
Sale of investment in unconsolidated entity	17,781	0
Expenditures for externally marketed software	(25,447)	(17,991)
Other, net	0	1,462
Net cash flows from investing activities	(374,401)	(759,819)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	1,500,000
Payments of debt issuance costs	(414)	(6,275)
Repayment of debt and capital lease obligations	(26,394)	(30,615)
Net proceeds from Class A common stock options exercised	33,156	4,679
Net proceeds from Class A common stock issued under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan	6,938	11,478
Cash exchanged for Tracking Stock	(651)	0
Other, net	(3,968)	(3,373)
Net cash flows from financing activities	8,667	1,475,894
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	1,014	684
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	227,216	1,291,468
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	2,571,143	924,240
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	2,798,359	2,215,708
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
Cash paid for interest (including capitalized interest)	183,451	97,044
Capitalized interest	45,496	70,386
Cash paid for income taxes	10,071	9,187
Employee benefits paid in Class A common stock	11,200	11,126
Property and equipment financed under capital lease obligations	8,423	7,172
Increase (decrease) in capital expenditures included in accounts payable, net	(3,494)	21,951
Capitalized in-orbit incentive obligations	43,890	0
Noncash net assets exchanged for Tracking Stock	$ 299,425	$ 0