Segment Reporting (Capital Expenditures of Reportable Segments) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property and equipment additions	$ 3,161.6	$ 2,258.6	$ 2,125.4
Assets acquired under capital-related vendor financing arrangements	(573.5)	(246.5)	(101.4)
Assets acquired under capital leases	(143.0)	(63.1)	(38.2)
Changes in current liabilities related to capital expenditures	36.4	(80.7)	(65.0)
Total capital expenditures	2,481.5	1,868.3	1,920.8
European Operations Division Virgin Media (U.K.) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	755.4	0	0
European Operations Division Germany (Unitymedia KabelBW) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	543.4	559.5	371.0
European Operations Division Belgium (Telenet) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	453.7	440.0	413.3
European Operations Division Netherlands [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	242.4	221.8	231.8
European Operations Division Switzerland [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	230.9	222.2	235.2
European Operations Division Other Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	147.6	145.1	193.7
European Operations Division Total Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	2,373.4	1,588.6	1,445.0
European Operations Division Central and Eastern Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	250.8	227.6	201.2
European Operations Division Central and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	276.8	165.4	177.8
Total European Operations Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	2,901.0	1,981.6	1,824.0
VTR Group (Chile) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	188.5	243.4	270.8
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total capital expenditures	$ 72.1	$ 33.6	$ 30.6