Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Schedules) (Details) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.56%	4.56%	4.56%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 2,503.8	£ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		29,315.3		$ 32,178.0
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net		(131.4)		(171.8)
Total carrying amount of debt		29,183.9		32,006.2
Capital lease obligations		621.3		638.3
Total debt and capital lease obligations		29,805.2		32,644.5
Current maturities of debt and capital lease obligations		(3,615.2)		(3,667.5)
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations		26,190.0		28,977.0
Telenet
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net		(34.2)
Capital lease obligations		475.2		456.1
Virgin Media
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net		(38.1)
Capital lease obligations		69.1		79.1
UPC Holding
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net		(39.3)
Capital lease obligations		29.9		35.9
Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net		(19.8)
Capital lease obligations		$ 47.1		67.2
VM Senior Secured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	5.40%	5.40%	5.40%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 6,268.3		6,565.6
VM Credit Facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.72%	4.72%	4.72%
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 4,600.5		4,676.2
VM Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	5.54%	5.54%	5.54%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 1,999.9		3,000.1
Telenet Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	3.76%	3.76%	3.76%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 509.6
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 3,145.7		2,177.6
Telenet Senior Secured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.69%	4.69%	4.69%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 1,687.1		1,721.3
Telenet SPE Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.88%	4.88%	4.88%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 546.2		937.7
UPCB SPE Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.54%	4.54%	4.54%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 2,445.5		2,582.6
UPC Holding Bank Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.96%	4.96%	4.96%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 990.1	$ 1,133.9
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 1,645.0		2,576.1
UPC Holding Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.59%	4.59%	4.59%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 1,215.5		1,313.4
Vendor financing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.18%	4.18%	4.18%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 3,620.3		3,593.1
ITV Collar Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	0.90%	0.90%	0.90%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 1,379.6		1,463.8
Derivative-related debt instruments
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	3.37%	3.37%	3.37%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 301.9		361.5
Sumitomo Share Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 0.0		621.7
Sumitomo Collar Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Unused borrowing capacity	€ 0.0	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 0.0		169.1
Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	5.27%	5.27%	5.27%
Unused borrowing capacity		$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums		$ 459.8		$ 418.2