Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,016,000,000	$ 1,832,000,000	$ 1,951,000,000	$ 3,145,000,000
Restricted cash	$ 0	315,000,000
Prepublication costs amortization description	Prepublication costs are amortized from the year of publication over the estimated useful life of the title, using the straight-line method for capitalized costs with an estimated useful life of one year or less and sum of the years' digits for capitalized costs with an estimated useful life exceeding one year.
Amortization of prepublication costs	$ 45,000,000	43,000,000	43,000,000
Insignificant influence on investments	Generally less than a 20% ownership interest
Unearned advance write-off policy	Recovery and a provision is established to write-off the unearned advance, usually between 6 and 12 months after publication
Revenues from barter transactions	$ 48,000,000	58,000,000	56,000,000
Expense from barter transactions	48,000,000	58,000,000	56,000,000
Advertising and promotional expenses	587,000,000	607,000,000	$ 530,000,000
Available-for-sale securities	97,000,000
Available-for-sale securities, net unrealized losses	(2,000,000)
Wireless Group plc [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted cash	$ 0	315,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Interest owned to exercise significant influence	20.00%
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	3 years
Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Interest owned to exercise significant influence	50.00%
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	50 years
Internal-use Software [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	2 years
Internal-use Software [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	10 years
Other Non-current Assets [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Prepublication costs	$ 31,000,000	33,000,000
REA Group [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 276,000,000	$ 95,000,000