v3.6.0.2
Financial Data by Business Segment (Details)
$ in Millions
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2016
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2016
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2016
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2015
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2015
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
segment
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Number of reportable segments | segment                 5    
Revenue $ 21,025 $ 21,319 $ 19,269 $ 18,790 $ 19,245 $ 18,669 $ 18,743 $ 17,853 $ 80,403 $ 74,510 $ 68,775
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 26,417 24,678 22,923
Depreciation and amortization                 9,558 8,680 8,019
Operating income (loss) $ 4,264 $ 4,440 $ 4,066 $ 4,089 $ 4,002 $ 4,001 $ 4,105 $ 3,890 16,859 15,998 14,904
Capital Expenditures                 9,135 8,499 7,420
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 $ 1,686 1,370 1,122
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Major Customers                 No single customer accounted for a significant amount of revenue in any period.    
NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Number of reportable segments | segment                 4    
Revenue                 $ 31,593 28,462 25,428
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 7,227 6,358 5,588
Depreciation and amortization                 1,805 1,539 1,495
Operating income (loss)                 5,422 4,819 4,093
Capital Expenditures                 1,452 1,386 1,221
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 $ 283 211 130
Segment Reporting, Disclosure of Major Customers                 No single customer accounted for a significant amount of revenue in any period.    
Non United States [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 $ 6,500 5,800 4,400
Non United States [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 6,517 5,799 4,433
United States [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 $ 25,076 22,663 20,995
Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Number of reportable segments | segment                 1    
NBCUniversal [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Number of reportable segments | segment                 4    
Revenue                 $ 31,593 28,462 25,428
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 7,227 6,352 5,516
Depreciation and amortization                 1,805 1,539 1,495
Operating income (loss)                 5,422 4,813 4,021
Capital Expenditures                 1,452 1,386 1,221
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 283 211 130
Operating Segments [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 50,048 46,928 44,165
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 20,109 19,037 18,097
Depreciation and amortization                 7,670 7,051 6,436
Operating income (loss)                 12,439 11,986 11,661
Capital Expenditures                 7,596 7,040 6,156
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 $ 1,377 $ 1,151 $ 979
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Operating Segments [Member] | Cable Networks [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 $ 10,464 $ 9,628 $ 9,563
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 3,709 3,499 3,589
Depreciation and amortization                 745 784 748
Operating income (loss)                 2,964 2,715 2,841
Capital Expenditures                 32 44 49
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 20 22 21
Operating Segments [Member] | Cable Networks [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 10,464 9,628 9,563
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 3,709 3,499 3,589
Depreciation and amortization                 745 784 748
Operating income (loss)                 2,964 2,715 2,841
Capital Expenditures                 32 44 49
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 20 22 21
Operating Segments [Member] | Broadcast Television [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 10,147 8,530 8,542
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 1,320 780 734
Depreciation and amortization                 125 111 127
Operating income (loss)                 1,195 669 607
Capital Expenditures                 153 117 76
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 19 17 12
Operating Segments [Member] | Broadcast Television [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 10,147 8,530 8,542
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 1,320 780 734
Depreciation and amortization                 125 111 127
Operating income (loss)                 1,195 669 607
Capital Expenditures                 153 117 76
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 19 17 12
Operating Segments [Member] | Filmed Entertainment [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 6,360 7,287 5,008
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 697 1,234 711
Depreciation and amortization                 47 26 21
Operating income (loss)                 650 1,208 690
Capital Expenditures                 33 14 11
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 16 20 7
Operating Segments [Member] | Filmed Entertainment [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 6,360 7,287 5,008
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 697 1,234 711
Depreciation and amortization                 47 26 21
Operating income (loss)                 650 1,208 690
Capital Expenditures                 33 14 11
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 16 20 7
Operating Segments [Member] | Theme Parks [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 4,946 3,339 2,623
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 2,190 1,464 1,096
Depreciation and amortization                 512 292 273
Operating income (loss)                 1,678 1,172 823
Capital Expenditures                 922 833 671
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 72 54 15
Operating Segments [Member] | Theme Parks [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 4,946 3,339 2,623
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 2,190 1,464 1,096
Depreciation and amortization                 512 292 273
Operating income (loss)                 1,678 1,172 823
Capital Expenditures                 922 833 671
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 72 54 15
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 750 713 683
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 (874) (815) (763)
Depreciation and amortization                 83 90 88
Operating income (loss)                 (957) (905) (851)
Capital Expenditures                 87 73 43
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 26 8 13
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 20 14 13
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 (699) (625) (613)
Depreciation and amortization                 376 326 326
Operating income (loss)                 (1,075) (951) (939)
Capital Expenditures                 312 378 414
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 156 98 75
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | NBCUniversal [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 20 14 13
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 (699) (625) (613)
Depreciation and amortization                 376 326 326
Operating income (loss)                 (1,075) (951) (939)
Capital Expenditures                 312 378 414
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 156 98 75
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 (1,988) (1,593) (1,501)
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 (45) 104 73
Depreciation and amortization                 0 0 0
Operating income (loss)                 (45) 104 73
Capital Expenditures                 0 0 0
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 0 0 0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | NBCUniversal Media LLC [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 (344) (336) (321)
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 10 6 71
Depreciation and amortization                 0 0 0
Operating income (loss)                 10 6 71
Capital Expenditures                 0 0 0
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 0 0 0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | NBCUniversal [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Revenue                 (344) (336) (321)
Operating income (loss) before depreciation and amortization                 10 0 (1)
Depreciation and amortization                 0 0 0
Operating income (loss)                 10 0 (1)
Capital Expenditures                 0 0 0
Cash Paid for Intangible Assets                 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0
Residential Video Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 44.70% 45.90% 47.10%
Residential High-speed Internet Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 27.00% 26.60% 25.60%
Residential Voice Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 7.10% 7.70% 8.30%
Business Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 11.00% 10.10% 9.00%
Advertising Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 5.00% 4.90% 5.40%
Other Products And Services [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 5.20% 4.80% 4.60%
Franchise And Other Regulatory Fees [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Cable Communications [Member]                      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]                      
Cable segment revenue types as percentage of total cable revenue                 2.80% 2.80% 2.80%