Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of ASU Adoption Impact (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets:
Trade accounts receivable and contract assets, net	$ 186,962		$ 186,962		$ 189,737	$ 196,840
Other current assets	15,889		15,889		92,204	91,671
Investments in unconsolidated entities	156,022		156,022		168,344	161,427
Other noncurrent assets, net	258,237		258,237		237,359	214,814
Total assets	8,791,985		8,791,985		8,772,906	8,750,014
Liabilities:
Contract liabilities	72,776		72,776		64,417	65,959
Accrued expenses and other	68,195		68,195		82,902	82,647
Deferred tax liabilities, net	456,401		456,401
Other noncurrent liabilities	124,252		124,252		124,435	128,503
Total liabilities	4,547,733		4,547,733		4,570,396	4,572,629
Stockholders’ Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(154,011)		(154,011)		(119,687)	(130,154)
Accumulated earnings	792,278		792,278		735,974	721,316
Total EchoStar Corporation stockholders’ equity	4,244,252	$ 3,856,724	4,244,252	$ 3,856,724	4,202,510	4,177,385	$ 4,021,313	$ 4,006,805
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	8,791,985		8,791,985		8,772,906	8,750,014
Revenue:
Services and other revenue - other	375,445	285,053	730,485	554,844
Total revenue	525,957	465,076	1,027,749	898,227
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales - services and other (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	151,157	138,227	299,902	273,415
Selling, general and administrative expenses	103,074	89,826	206,349	172,817
Total costs and expenses	451,192	419,186	894,974	800,686
Operating income	74,765	45,890	132,775	97,541
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(61,534)	(55,456)	(124,285)	(100,852)
Gains (losses) on investments, net	65,396	1,837	28,733	10,574
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated affiliates, net	(2,058)	4,831	(3,067)	11,239
Total other expense, net	20,721	(36,296)	(63,863)	(57,184)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	95,486	9,594	68,912	40,357
Income tax provision, net	(17,802)	(3,003)	(12,399)	(2,991)
Net income	77,684	7,122	56,513	44,474
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	$ 77,222	$ 6,940	$ 55,671	$ 45,864
Earnings per share - Class A and B common stock:
Total basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.80	$ 0.07	$ 0.58	$ 0.48
Total diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.80	$ 0.07	$ 0.57	$ 0.48
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net income	$ 77,684	$ 7,122	$ 56,513	$ 44,474
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities and other	547	(5,626)	15	14,406
Other-than-temporary impairment loss on available-for-sale securities in net income	0	0	0	3,298
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax	(43,183)	(5,877)	(35,123)	38,735
Comprehensive income	34,501	1,245	21,390	83,209
Comprehensive income attributable to EchoStar Corporation	34,624	$ 1,063	21,347	$ 83,390
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Assets:
Trade accounts receivable and contract assets, net						196,840
Other current assets						91,671
Investments in unconsolidated entities						161,427
Other noncurrent assets, net						214,814
Total assets						8,750,014
Liabilities:
Contract liabilities						65,959
Accrued expenses and other						82,647
Other noncurrent liabilities						128,503
Total liabilities						4,572,629
Stockholders’ Equity:
Total EchoStar Corporation stockholders’ equity						4,177,385
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity						8,750,014
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Comprehensive income	32,366		18,176
Comprehensive income attributable to EchoStar Corporation	32,489		18,133
Calculated Under Revenue Guidance In Effect Before Topic 606 And Accounting Standards Update 2016-01
Stockholders’ Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss						(130,154)
Accumulated earnings						$ 721,316
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities and other	32,080		13,656
Other-than-temporary impairment loss on available-for-sale securities in net income			37,016
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax	(11,650)		15,534
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Assets:
Trade accounts receivable and contract assets, net	194,091		194,091
Other current assets	15,356		15,356
Investments in unconsolidated entities	149,782		149,782
Other noncurrent assets, net	228,359		228,359
Total assets	8,762,463		8,762,463
Liabilities:
Contract liabilities	73,754		73,754
Accrued expenses and other	67,940		67,940
Deferred tax liabilities, net	452,082		452,082
Other noncurrent liabilities	126,666		126,666
Total liabilities	4,546,551		4,546,551
Stockholders’ Equity:
Total EchoStar Corporation stockholders’ equity	4,215,912		4,215,912
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	8,762,463		8,762,463
Revenue:
Services and other revenue - other	376,253		732,511
Total revenue	526,765		1,029,775
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales - services and other (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	152,705		302,379
Selling, general and administrative expenses	105,508		211,204
Total costs and expenses	455,174		902,306
Operating income	71,591		127,469
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	(61,408)		(124,067)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated affiliates, net	(1,961)		(2,390)
Income tax provision, net	(16,986)		(11,202)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606
Assets:
Trade accounts receivable and contract assets, net	7,129		7,129		(7,103)
Other current assets	(533)		(533)		533
Investments in unconsolidated entities	(6,240)		(6,240)		6,917
Other noncurrent assets, net	(29,878)		(29,878)		22,545
Total assets	(29,522)		(29,522)		22,892
Liabilities:
Contract liabilities	978		978		(1,542)
Accrued expenses and other	(255)		(255)		255
Deferred tax liabilities, net	(4,319)		(4,319)
Other noncurrent liabilities	2,414		2,414		(4,068)
Total liabilities	(1,182)		(1,182)		(2,233)
Stockholders’ Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0		0		0
Accumulated earnings	(28,340)		(28,340)		25,125
Total EchoStar Corporation stockholders’ equity	(28,340)		(28,340)		25,125
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	(29,522)		(29,522)		22,892
Revenue:
Services and other revenue - other	808		2,026
Total revenue	808		2,026
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales - services and other (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	1,548		2,477
Selling, general and administrative expenses	2,434		4,855
Total costs and expenses	3,982		7,332
Operating income	(3,174)		(5,306)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized	126		218
Gains (losses) on investments, net	0		0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated affiliates, net	97		677
Total other expense, net	223		895
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(2,951)		(4,411)
Income tax provision, net	816		1,197
Net income	(2,135)		(3,214)
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	$ (2,135)		$ (3,214)
Earnings per share - Class A and B common stock:
Total basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.02)		$ (0.03)
Total diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.02)		$ (0.03)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net income	$ (2,135)		$ (3,214)
Comprehensive income	(2,135)		(3,214)
Comprehensive income attributable to EchoStar Corporation	(2,135)		(3,214)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01
Stockholders’ Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	40,190		40,190		10,467
Accumulated earnings	(40,190)		(40,190)		$ (10,467)
Other income (expense):
Gains (losses) on investments, net	(31,533)		(50,657)
Total other expense, net	(31,533)		(50,657)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(31,533)		(50,657)
Net income	(31,533)		(50,657)
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	$ (31,533)		$ (50,657)
Earnings per share - Class A and B common stock:
Total basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.33)		$ (0.53)
Total diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.33)		$ (0.52)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net income	$ (31,533)		$ (50,657)
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities and other	31,533		13,641
Other-than-temporary impairment loss on available-for-sale securities in net income			37,016
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax	31,533		50,657
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 And 2016-01 | Calculated Under Revenue Guidance In Effect Before Topic 606 And Accounting Standards Update 2016-01
Stockholders’ Equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(113,821)		(113,821)
Accumulated earnings	723,748		723,748
Other income (expense):
Gains (losses) on investments, net	33,863		(21,924)
Total other expense, net	(10,589)		(113,625)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	61,002		13,844
Net income	44,016		2,642
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	$ 43,554		$ 1,800
Earnings per share - Class A and B common stock:
Total basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.45		$ 0.02
Total diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.45		$ 0.02
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net income	$ 44,016		$ 2,642