Segment Reporting (Performance Measures) (Schedule) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 4,429.9	$ 4,588.0
Total consolidated capital expenditures	624.8	637.1
Adjusted OIBDA	1,958.6	2,115.5
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	4,429.9	4,588.0
Adjusted OIBDA	1,958.6	2,115.5
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division U.K / Ireland [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	1,504.4	1,686.5
Adjusted OIBDA	648.5	744.6
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Belgium [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	661.4	610.2
Adjusted OIBDA	297.9	269.8
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Germany [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	629.1	617.1
Adjusted OIBDA	382.8	379.4
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Switzerland / Austria [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	423.7	433.4
Adjusted OIBDA	255.1	258.1
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Netherlands [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0.0	669.8
Adjusted OIBDA	0.0	367.9
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Total Western Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	3,218.6	4,017.0
Adjusted OIBDA	1,584.3	2,019.8
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Central and Eastern Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	271.3	266.1
Adjusted OIBDA	111.0	110.9
Operating Segments [Member] | European Operations Division Central and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	28.7	(2.4)
Adjusted OIBDA	(42.0)	(84.3)
Operating Segments [Member] | Total European Operations Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	3,518.6	4,280.7
Adjusted OIBDA	1,653.3	2,046.4
Operating Segments [Member] | Liberty Global Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	3,519.0	4,284.1
Adjusted OIBDA	1,604.7	1,993.6
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Group CWC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	575.6	0.0
Adjusted OIBDA	213.1	0.0
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Group Chile [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	229.3	200.0
Adjusted OIBDA	91.6	76.3
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Group Puerto Rico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	106.7	103.9
Adjusted OIBDA	51.3	46.8
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	911.6	303.9
Adjusted OIBDA	356.0	123.1
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Group Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted OIBDA	(2.1)	(1.2)
Operating Segments [Member] | LiLAC Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	910.9	303.9
Adjusted OIBDA	353.9	121.9
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Liberty Global Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0.0	(11.2)
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | LiLAC Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(0.7)	0.0
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0.4	14.6
Adjusted OIBDA	(48.6)	(52.8)
VodafoneZiggo JV [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	31.5
VodafoneZiggo JV [Member] | VodafoneZiggo JV [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue		0.0
Adjusted OIBDA	459.5	0.0
The Netherlands | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0.0	669.8
The Netherlands | VodafoneZiggo JV [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 0.0
The Netherlands | VodafoneZiggo JV [Member] | VodafoneZiggo JV [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,083.8