Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Consolidated Debt and Capital Lease Obligations) (Footnotes) (Details) CLP in Billions	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€) association group	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) association group	Dec. 31, 2016 GBP (£) association group	Dec. 31, 2016 CLP association group	Dec. 31, 2015 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value								$ 344,400,000
Capital lease obligations								$ 1,242,800,000				$ 1,322,800,000
Term of lease repayments				15 years
Number of borrowing groups | group							7	7	7	7
Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value								$ 128,900,000
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value								$ 215,500,000
Sumitomo Collar Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							1.88%	1.88%	1.88%	1.88%
Gains (losses) on extinguishment of debt				$ (9,600,000)
Estimated fair value								$ 499,700,000				805,600,000
Aggregate Variable and Fixed Rate Indebtedness [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							5.00%	5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
2022 UM Senior Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value								$ 587,900,000
Redemption price			103.00%
Unitymedia Revolving Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Limitation on availability to be borrowed, loaned or distributed							€ 434,500,000	$ 458,300,000
Estimated fair value								$ 0				0
UPC Broadband Holding Bank Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							3.83%	3.83%	3.83%	3.83%
Limitation on availability to be borrowed, loaned or distributed							€ 676,000,000.0	$ 713,000,000.0
Gains (losses) on extinguishment of debt	$ (28,300,000)	$ (48,800,000)			$ (76,900,000)	$ (16,500,000)
Estimated fair value								2,811,900,000				1,284,300,000
VM Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Facility amount								833,300,000	£ 675,000,000.0
Fee on unused portion of credit facility				1.10%
VM Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				2.75%
Vendor Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
General term of vendor financing arrangements for amounts due				1 year
Virgin Media Collateralized Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Estimated fair value								116,000,000.0
VTR Dollar Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Facility amount								160,000,000.0
Fee on unused portion of credit facility				1.10%
VTR Dollar Credit Facility [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				2.75%
VTR CLP Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Facility amount								32,800,000		CLP 22.0
Fee on unused portion of credit facility				1.34%
VTR CLP Credit Facility [Member] | Interbank Offered Rate (CLP) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				3.35%
UnityMedia KabelBW [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term when statutory termination rights are active				30 years
Telenet Capital Lease PICs Network [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capital lease obligations							€ 341,200,000	$ 359,900,000			€ 329,300,000	347,300,000
Number of associations of municipalities in belgium | association							4	4	4	4
Senior and Senior Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mandatory redemption price expressed as percentage of principal amount on senior notes in event that certain assets sold or specific control changed							101.00%	101.00%	101.00%	101.00%
Redemption term				12 years
Redemption price, percentage of principal amount limitation							10.00%	10.00%	10.00%	10.00%
Redemption price				103.00%
SPE Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Ownership percentage of SPEs by third parties							100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
CWC Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							5.11%	5.11%	5.11%	5.11%
Limitation on availability to be borrowed, loaned or distributed								$ 612,500,000
Estimated fair value								$ 1,427,900,000				0
Liberty Global Group [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							4.56%	4.56%	4.56%	4.56%
Estimated fair value								$ 37,398,800,000				43,391,800,000
Capital lease obligations								$ 1,221,100,000				1,321,900,000
Liberty Global Group [Member] | Aggregate Variable and Fixed Rate Indebtedness [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							4.70%	4.70%	4.70%	4.70%
Liberty Global Group [Member] | Vendor Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							3.78%	3.78%	3.78%	3.78%
Estimated fair value								$ 2,284,500,000				1,688,900,000
LiLAC Group [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							6.33%	6.33%	6.33%	6.33%
Estimated fair value								$ 6,195,500,000				2,214,100,000
Capital lease obligations								$ 21,700,000				900,000
LiLAC Group [Member] | Aggregate Variable and Fixed Rate Indebtedness [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							6.80%	6.80%	6.80%	6.80%
LiLAC Group [Member] | Vendor Financing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate							5.50%	5.50%	5.50%	5.50%
Estimated fair value								$ 48,900,000				$ 0