Segment Reporting (Performance Measures) (Schedule) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 4,533.7	$ 2,671.9
Operating cash flow	2,127.5	1,260.0
European Operations Division Virgin Media (U.K.) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	1,727.9	0
Operating cash flow	736.5	0
European Operations Division Germany (Unitymedia KabelBW) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	695.9	618.2
Operating cash flow	429.0	360.0
European Operations Division Belgium (Telenet) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	574.2	536.2
Operating cash flow	302.1	247.5
European Operations Division Netherlands [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	318.1	314.8
Operating cash flow	183.3	184.8
European Operations Division Switzerland [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	352.8	326.0
Operating cash flow	206.4	182.2
European Operations Division Other Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	230.6	222.6
Operating cash flow	113.1	104.8
European Operations Division Total Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	3,899.5	2,017.8
Operating cash flow	1,970.4	1,079.3
European Operations Division Central and Eastern Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	289.2	287.8
Operating cash flow	147.0	140.6
European Operations Division Central and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	33.9	31.8
Operating cash flow	(59.7)	(45.8)
Total European Operations Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	4,222.6	2,337.4
Operating cash flow	2,057.7	1,174.1
VTR Group (Chile) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	225.3	250.4
Operating cash flow	82.7	85.2
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	93.1	93.0
Operating cash flow	(16.9)	(10.6)
Intersegment eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	(7.3)	(8.9)
Operating cash flow	$ 4.0	$ 11.3