Other Investments - Components of Other Debt Investments, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Cost basis	$ 107,259	$ 102,878
Discount	(10,353)	(10,309)
Allowance for credit losses	(2,322)	0
Total other debt investments, net	$ 94,584	$ 92,569

Equity Securities Without Readily Determinable Fair Value, Allowance For Credit Loss

No definition available.

Name:	sats_EquitySecuritiesWithoutReadilyDeterminableFairValueAllowanceForCreditLoss
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity Securities Without Readily Determinable Fair Value, Discount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_EquitySecuritiesWithoutReadilyDeterminableFairValueDiscount
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity Securities Without Readily Determinable Fair Value, Gross

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_EquitySecuritiesWithoutReadilyDeterminableFairValueGross
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsAndJointVenturesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment in equity security without readily determinable fair value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 321
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120269885&loc=SL75117539-209714

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesWithoutReadilyDeterminableFairValueAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant