Segment Reporting (Performance Measures) (Schedule) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 4,497.2	$ 4,276.5	$ 13,633.1	$ 10,006.2
Operating cash flow	2,110.6	1,988.6	6,383.0	4,688.7
European Operations Division Virgin Media (U.K.) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	1,747.0	1,587.4	5,249.5	1,988.7
Operating cash flow	755.9	663.0	2,264.8	838.3
European Operations Division Germany (Unitymedia KabelBW) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	671.7	641.3	2,056.4	1,884.1
Operating cash flow	417.5	391.2	1,277.5	1,120.6
European Operations Division Belgium (Telenet) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	575.7	545.6	1,732.3	1,616.2
Operating cash flow	287.9	275.4	877.9	792.1
European Operations Division Netherlands [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	301.6	305.4	936.0	923.4
Operating cash flow	175.1	176.3	543.5	532.2
European Operations Division Switzerland [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	353.2	332.1	1,071.3	982.0
Operating cash flow	213.3	200.8	639.3	572.2
European Operations Division Other Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	223.8	223.5	687.9	665.7
Operating cash flow	115.4	113.8	343.4	324.2
European Operations Division Total Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	3,873.0	3,635.3	11,733.4	8,060.1
Operating cash flow	1,965.1	1,820.5	5,946.4	4,179.6
European Operations Division Central and Eastern Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	279.8	279.1	859.7	848.4
Operating cash flow	135.0	131.9	418.9	407.6
European Operations Division Central and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	34.7	33.4	101.2	96.7
Operating cash flow	(63.0)	(44.5)	(184.3)	(144.5)
Total European Operations Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	4,187.5	3,947.8	12,694.3	9,005.2
Operating cash flow	2,037.1	1,907.9	6,181.0	4,442.7
VTR Group (Chile) [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	223.7	244.8	678.8	747.9
Operating cash flow	86.6	84.5	255.1	256.5
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	95.3	93.4	282.6	280.9
Operating cash flow	(13.1)	(15.2)	(57.1)	(44.6)
Intersegment eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	(9.3)	(9.5)	(22.6)	(27.8)
Operating cash flow	$ 0	$ 11.4	$ 4.0	$ 34.1