Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments | segment			1
Revenue	$ 337,047	$ 336,606	$ 646,089	$ 638,828
Cost of services sold	228,835	225,042	440,281	435,461
Office and general expenses	72,709	53,075	150,537	127,383
Depreciation and amortization	11,436	14,007	22,656	26,307
Operating profit	24,067	44,482	32,615	49,677
Other Income (Expense):
Other income, net	26	4,348	15,538	(13,692)
Interest expense, net	(16,971)	(13,183)	(32,368)	(28,160)
Loss On Redemption Of Notes	0	0	(33,298)	0
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes, equity in affiliates	7,122	35,647	(17,513)	7,825
Income tax benefit	4,405	4,679	2,433	625
Loss from continuing operations before equity in affiliates	2,717	30,968	(19,946)	7,200
Equity in earnings of non-consolidated affiliates	(290)	104	(61)	455
Income from continuing operations	2,427	31,072	(20,007)	7,655
Loss from discontinuing operations attributable to MDC Partners Inc., net of taxes	0	1,329	0	(4,965)
Net loss	2,427	32,401	(20,007)	2,690
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(1,254)	(2,841)	(2,113)	(5,221)	$ (9,054)
Net loss attributable to MDC Partners Inc.	1,173	29,560	(22,120)	(2,531)
Stock-based compensation	5,530	5,314	10,215	9,759
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	7,909	3,848	13,448	9,504
Goodwill and intangibles	938,062	961,860	938,062	961,860
Total Assets	1,616,153	1,834,765	1,616,153	1,834,765	$ 1,577,625
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of services sold	0	0	0	0
Office and general expenses	12,291	9,437	25,024	29,809
Depreciation and amortization	510	453	907	899
Operating profit	(12,801)	(9,890)	(25,931)	(30,708)
Other Income (Expense):
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation	650	451	1,454	1,396
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	4	195	32	263
Goodwill and intangibles	0	0	0	0
Total Assets	132,126	176,806	132,126	176,806
Advertising and Communications Segment [Domain]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	337,047	336,606	646,089	638,828
Cost of services sold	228,835	225,042	440,281	435,461
Office and general expenses	60,418	43,638	125,513	97,574
Depreciation and amortization	10,926	13,554	21,749	25,408
Operating profit	36,868	54,372	58,546	80,385
Other Income (Expense):
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(1,254)	(2,841)	(2,113)	(5,221)
Stock-based compensation	4,880	4,863	8,761	8,363
Supplemental Segment Information:
Capital expenditures	7,905	3,653	13,416	9,241
Goodwill and intangibles	938,062	961,860	938,062	961,860
Total Assets	$ 1,484,027	$ 1,657,959	$ 1,484,027	$ 1,657,959