Commitments and Contingencies (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 VEF	Feb. 28, 2013 VEF	Dec. 31, 2013 Sky Brasil USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Venezuelan Subsidiary USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Standby letters of credit USD ($)	Jan. 24, 2014 SICAD 1 VEF	Dec. 31, 2014 SICAD 2 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 DIRECTV U.S. USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2013 DIRECTV U.S. USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 DIRECTV U.S. USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 DIRECTV Latin America USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2013 DIRECTV Latin America USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 DIRECTV Latin America USD ($)
Noncancelable operating leases
Minimum future commitments under noncancelable operating leases	$ 963								$ 963
2015	108								108
2016	102								102
2017	98								98
2018	98								98
2019	100								100
Thereafter	457								457
Rental expenses									133	129	118
Unrecorded purchase commitments
Minimum payments under agreements to purchase	16,330								16,330
2015	2,158								2,158
2016	2,011								2,011
2017	1,780								1,780
2018	1,693								1,693
2019	1,883								1,883
Thereafter	6,805								6,805
Satellite Commitments payments
Total cash payment under lease agreements	937								937
Cash payments under lease agreements payable in 2015	172								172
Cash payments under lease agreements payable in 2016	108								108
Cash payments under lease agreements payable in 2017	50								50
Cash payments under lease agreements payable in 2018	50								50
Cash payments under lease agreements payable in 2019	50								50
Cash payments under lease agreements payable thereafter	507								507
Loss contingencies
Number of construction and launch satellites contracts																			1			1
Prepayments related to capital lease																						88	105
Noncontrolling interest, ownership percentage														7.00%
Estimated fair value of Globo's interest in Sky Brasil					375					375				375
Exchange rate (in bolivars fuerte per U.S. dollar)																	12.0	49.99
Exchange rate set by the Venezuelan government (in bolivars fuerte per U.S. dollar)												6.3	4.3
Revenues	8,922	8,374	8,109	7,855	8,594	7,880	7,700	7,580	33,260	31,754	29,740				900				26,001	24,676	23,235	7,061	6,844	6,244
Operating profit before depreciation and amortization															400
Pre-tax charge related to remeasurement of bolivar denominated net monetary assets due to devaluation								166	281	166
After-tax charge related to remeasurement of bolivar denominated net monetary assets due to devaluation								136
Gain related to settlement with ECAD										21
Venezuelan bolivar fuerte denominated assets in excess liabilities															481
Venezuelan bolivars fuerte denominated cash															481
In-orbit satellites, net book value	1,806								1,806
Other
Contingent liability for standby letters of credit																$ 316