Debt (Schedules) (Details) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2019 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.30%	4.30%	4.30%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 3,005.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	27,648.1			$ 29,315.3
Deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums, net	(82.7)			(131.4)
Total carrying amount of debt	27,565.4			29,183.9
Finance lease obligations (note 12)	617.1
Finance lease obligations (note 12)				621.3
Total debt and finance lease obligations	28,182.5			29,805.2
Current maturities of debt and finance lease obligations	(3,877.2)			(3,615.2)
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations	$ 24,305.3			26,190.0
VM Senior Secured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	5.34%	5.34%	5.34%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0		£ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 5,916.9			6,268.3
VM Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	3.94%	3.94%	3.94%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 1,326.3
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 5,473.3			4,600.5
VM Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	5.34%	5.34%	5.34%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0	€ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 1,583.8			1,999.9
Telenet Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	3.89%	3.89%	3.89%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 567.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 3,541.4			3,145.7
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	$ 1,673.7			1,687.1
Telenet SPE Notes
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			546.2
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	$ 2,420.1			2,445.5
UPC Holding Bank Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 1,111.7	€ 990.1
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 0.0			1,645.0
UPC Holding Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.60%	4.60%	4.60%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0	€ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 1,202.3			1,215.5
Vendor financing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.12%	4.12%	4.12%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 3,748.2			3,620.3
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	$ 1,435.5			1,379.6
Derivative-related debt instruments
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	2.58%	2.58%	2.58%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 81.1			301.9
Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	3.96%	3.96%	3.96%
Unused borrowing capacity	$ 0.0
Total debt before deferred financing costs, discounts and premiums	$ 571.8			$ 459.8