v3.7.0.1
ACQUISITION (Details)
$ / shares in Units, £ in Thousands, SEK in Millions
 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 09, 2017
USD ($)
shares
Jan. 20, 2017
SEK
Jan. 20, 2017
USD ($)
Dec. 28, 2016
USD ($)
Dec. 21, 2016
USD ($)
state
item
$ / shares
shares
Nov. 30, 2016
GBP (£)
item
shares
Nov. 30, 2016
USD ($)
item
$ / shares
shares
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
state
item
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2016
USD ($)
$ / shares
Dec. 31, 2015
USD ($)
state
item
$ / shares
Dec. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Allocation of purchase price                        
Goodwill               $ 2,406,691,000 $ 3,932,960,000 $ 3,932,960,000 $ 2,406,691,000 $ 2,289,800,000
Current portion               18,786,000 81,243,000 81,243,000 18,786,000  
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]                        
Revenues, pro forma                   4,914,920,000 4,837,057,000  
Operating income, pro forma                   280,913,000 347,474,000  
Net income, pro forma                   $ (14,587,000) $ 138,705,000  
Income per share, basic | $ / shares                   $ (0.13) $ 1.25  
Income per share, diluted | $ / shares                   $ (0.13) $ 1.25  
Preliminary Allocation                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Cash               2,119,000     $ 2,119,000  
Receivables               2,001,000     2,001,000  
Other current assets               4,806,000     4,806,000  
Property               50,810,000     50,810,000  
Intangible assets               21,080,000     21,080,000  
Goodwill               116,891,000     116,891,000  
Other long-term assets               290,000     290,000  
Accounts payable               (4,211,000)     (4,211,000)  
Accrued expenses and other liabilities               (4,689,000)     (4,689,000)  
Deferred revenues and income               (2,295,000)     (2,295,000)  
Deferred tax liability               (10,610,000)     (10,610,000)  
Other long-term liabilities               (1,220,000)     (1,220,000)  
Total transaction value                     $ 174,972,000  
Changes To Preliminary Allocation                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Cash                 400,000 $ 400,000    
Receivables                 (140,000) (140,000)    
Other current assets                 (177,000) (177,000)    
Property                 (8,702,000) (8,702,000)    
Goodwill                 13,260,000 13,260,000    
Accrued expenses and other liabilities                 (466,000) (466,000)    
Deferred revenues and income                 (172,000) (172,000)    
Deferred tax liability                 (714,000) (714,000)    
Other long-term liabilities                 (3,570,000) (3,570,000)    
Total transaction value                 (281,000)      
Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ                        
ACQUISITION                        
Number of screens | item         384              
Number of theatres | item         24              
Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ | NCM LLC                        
Assets held for sale                        
Percent of NCM's total network         2.00%              
Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ | Merger Acquisition And Transaction Costs Caption [Member]                        
Assets held for sale                        
Common units returned under Common Unit Adjustment Agreement | shares 2,850,000                      
Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ | Forecast                        
Assets held for sale                        
Total common units received | shares 18,400,000                      
Common units returned under waiver of exclusivity agreement | shares 1,800,000                      
Value of common units returned under waiver of exclusivity agreement $ 25,000,000                      
Net common units received | shares 13,750,000                      
Value of net common units received $ 175,038,000                      
Expenses $ 1,000,000                      
Odeon                        
ACQUISITION                        
Purchase price, net of cash acquired                   438,733,000    
Purchase price, cash           £ 384,847 $ 480,338,000          
GBP/USD exchange rate             1.25          
Number of screens acquired | item           2,243 2,243          
Number of theatres acquired | item           244 244          
Number of major markets | item           4 4          
Number of smaller markets | item           3 3          
Allocation of purchase price                        
Cash             $ 41,605,000          
Receivables             26,159,000          
Other current assets             58,120,000          
Property             755,910,000          
Intangible assets             112,111,000          
Goodwill             898,627,000          
Deferred tax assets             18,704,000          
Other long-term assets             29,562,000          
Accounts payable             (78,916,000)          
Accrued expenses and other liabilities             (118,202,000)          
Capital and financing lease obligations             (365,264,000)          
Deferred revenues and income             (20,415,000)          
Deferred tax liability             (21,298,000)          
Other long-term liabilities             (103,052,000)          
Total transaction value           £ 510,423 637,073,000          
Unfavorable lease acquired             48,300,000          
Current portion             26,549,000          
Odeon | Merger Acquisition And Transaction Costs Caption [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Acquisition-related costs                   20,892,000    
Odeon | Senior Secured Note GBP 9.0 Percent Due 2018 [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Indebtedness assumed             (382,864,000)          
Odeon | Senior Secured Note 4.93 Percent Due 2018 [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Indebtedness assumed             $ (213,714,000)          
Odeon | Class A Common Stock                        
ACQUISITION                        
Number of shares issued in acquisition | shares           4,536,466 4,536,466          
Value of equity portion of consideration           £ 125,576 $ 156,735,000          
Shares issued in acquisition, price per share | $ / shares             $ 34.55          
Nordic | Subsequent Events                        
ACQUISITION                        
GBP/USD exchange rate   8.879 8.879                  
Allocation of purchase price                        
Total transaction value   SEK 8,250 $ 929,000,000                  
Carmike                        
ACQUISITION                        
Purchase price, net of cash acquired                   497,798,000    
Purchase price, cash         $ 584,291,000              
Number of screens acquired | item         2,923              
Number of theatres acquired | item         271              
Number of states | state         41              
Allocation of purchase price                        
Cash         $ 86,493,000              
Receivables         12,268,000              
Other current assets         14,248,000              
Property         719,642,000              
Intangible assets         25,876,000              
Goodwill         624,803,000              
Other long-term assets         19,423,000              
Accounts payable         (36,946,000)              
Accrued expenses and other liabilities         (53,030,000)              
Deferred revenues and income         (19,944,000)              
Deferred tax liability         (19,535,000)              
Other long-term liabilities         (51,027,000)              
Total transaction value         858,240,000              
Unfavorable lease acquired       $ 50,379,000                
Current portion         30,365,000              
Carmike | Other Current Assets [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Property         $ 17,238,000              
Carmike | Merger Acquisition And Transaction Costs Caption [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Acquisition-related costs                   25,350,000    
Carmike | Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ                        
ACQUISITION                        
Number of screens | item         17              
Number of theatres | item         5              
Assets held for sale                        
Number of local markets | item         15              
Carmike | Theatres Divested as Required by US DOJ | NCM LLC                        
Assets held for sale                        
Maximum equity interest, first period, as a percent         15.00%              
Maximum equity interest, second period, as a percent         7.50%              
Maximum equity interest, final, as a percent         4.99%              
Carmike | 6.0% Senior Secured Notes due 2023                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Capital and financing lease obligations             $ (230,000,000)          
Indebtedness assumed         $ (242,075,000)              
Carmike | Capital and financing lease obligations                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Indebtedness assumed         $ (221,956,000)              
Carmike | Class A Common Stock                        
ACQUISITION                        
Number of shares issued in acquisition | shares         8,189,808              
Value of equity portion of consideration         $ 273,949,000              
Shares issued in acquisition, price per share | $ / shares         $ 33.45              
Starplex Cinemas                        
ACQUISITION                        
Purchase price, net of cash acquired               $ 172,172,000        
Number of screens acquired | item               346        
Number of theatres acquired | item               33        
Number of states | state               12     12  
Allocation of purchase price                        
Cash                 2,519,000 2,519,000    
Receivables                 1,861,000 1,861,000    
Other current assets                 4,629,000 4,629,000    
Property                 42,108,000 42,108,000    
Intangible assets                 21,080,000 21,080,000    
Goodwill                 130,151,000 130,151,000    
Other long-term assets                 290,000 290,000    
Accounts payable                 (4,211,000) (4,211,000)    
Accrued expenses and other liabilities                 (5,155,000) (5,155,000)    
Deferred revenues and income                 (2,467,000) (2,467,000)    
Deferred tax liability                 (11,324,000) (11,324,000)    
Other long-term liabilities                 $ (4,790,000) (4,790,000)    
Total transaction value                   174,691,000    
Starplex Cinemas | Merger Acquisition And Transaction Costs Caption [Member]                        
Allocation of purchase price                        
Acquisition-related costs                   $ 1,503,000 $ 1,534,000  
Starplex Cinemas | Held-for-sale                        
ACQUISITION                        
Number of screens | item                     22  
Number of theatres | item                     2  
Starplex Cinemas | Held-for-sale | Other Current Assets [Member]                        
Assets held for sale                        
Value of assets held for sale               $ 5,390,000     $ 5,390,000