Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) segment	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments | segment	1
Revenue	$ 344,700	$ 309,042
Cost of services sold	237,563	211,446
Office and general expenses	87,840	77,828
Depreciation and amortization	10,898	11,220
Operating profit	8,399	8,548
Other Income (Expense):
Other income, net	2,567	15,512
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Realized	(16,541)
Interest expense, net		(15,397)
Loss On Redemption Of Notes	0	(33,298)
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes, equity in affiliates	(5,575)	(24,635)
Income tax benefit	3,969	(1,972)
Loss from continuing operations before equity in affiliates	(9,544)	(22,663)
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated affiliates	(139)	229
Income from continuing operations	(10,566)	(23,293)
Net loss	(9,683)	(22,434)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(883)	(859)	$ (5,218)
Net loss attributable to MDC Partners Inc.	(10,566)	(23,293)
Stock-based compensation	4,950	4,685
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	9,413	5,539
Goodwill and intangibles	927,092	944,660
Total Assets	1,626,653	1,571,555	$ 1,577,378
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0
Cost of services sold	0	0
Office and general expenses	8,260	12,733
Depreciation and amortization	309	397
Operating profit	(8,569)	(13,130)
Other Income (Expense):
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stock-based compensation	604	804
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	1	28
Goodwill and intangibles	0	0
Total Assets	127,214	158,567
Reportable Segment [Domain]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	286,805	254,106
Cost of services sold	198,143	175,339
Office and general expenses	68,692	52,209
Depreciation and amortization	8,393	7,060
Operating profit	11,577	19,498
Other Income (Expense):
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(741)	(726)
Stock-based compensation	3,913	3,751
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	8,513	4,857
Goodwill and intangibles	719,164	699,993
Total Assets	1,195,498	1,088,365
All Other Segment [Domain]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	57,895	54,936
Cost of services sold	39,420	36,107
Office and general expenses	10,888	12,886
Depreciation and amortization	2,196	3,763
Operating profit	5,391	2,180
Other Income (Expense):
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(142)	(133)
Stock-based compensation	433	130
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	899	654
Goodwill and intangibles	207,928	244,667
Total Assets	$ 303,941	$ 324,623