Supplementary Information - Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
OPERATIONS
Net income	$ 5,244	$ 3,925	$ 3,832
Less Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(11)	(37)
Net income from continuing operations	5,244	3,914	3,795
Adjustments for noncash and nonoperating items:
Depreciation and amortization	694	669	681
Amortization of film and television costs	9,162	8,324	8,030
Asset impairments	16	43	25
(Gain) loss on investments and other assets, net	(367)	(131)	31
Excess (deficiency) of distributions over equity in pretax income of consolidated subsidiaries, net of cash distributions	0	0	0
Equity in losses of investee companies, net of cash distributions	191	324	161
Equity-based compensation	227	277	182
Deferred income taxes	(1,010)	236	328
Premiums paid and costs incurred on debt redemption	1,087	1,008	72
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	(10,150)	(9,981)	(9,454)
Intercompany	0	0	0
Cash provided by operations from continuing operations	5,094	4,683	3,851
Cash used by operations from discontinued operations	(15)	(17)	(8)
Cash provided by operations	5,079	4,666	3,843
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investments in available-for-sale securities	(1)	(9)	(41)
Investments and acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(706)	(1,228)	(672)
Capital expenditures	(656)	(432)	(423)
Advances to (from) parent and consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other investment proceeds	367	309	143
Cash used by investing activities	(996)	(1,360)	(993)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Borrowings	4,270	3,830	3,768
Debt repayments	(5,001)	(3,304)	(2,344)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	206	172	165
Excess tax benefit from equity instruments	0	88	151
Principal payments on capital leases	(39)	(14)	(11)
Repurchases of common stock	0	(2,322)	(3,632)
Dividends paid	(1,265)	(1,269)	(1,150)
Other financing activities	(1,172)	(1,103)	(260)
Change in due to/from parent and investment in segment	0	0	0
Cash used by financing activities	(3,001)	(3,922)	(3,313)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS	1,082	(616)	(463)
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	1,539	2,155	2,618
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	2,621	1,539	2,155
Eliminations
OPERATIONS
Net income	(12,491)	(10,730)	(9,404)
Less Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	68	74
Net income from continuing operations	(12,491)	(10,662)	(9,330)
Adjustments for noncash and nonoperating items:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Amortization of film and television costs	(47)	(37)	(29)
Asset impairments	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on investments and other assets, net	0	(1)	0
Excess (deficiency) of distributions over equity in pretax income of consolidated subsidiaries, net of cash distributions	15,518	14,898	13,493
Equity in losses of investee companies, net of cash distributions	(1)	2	5
Equity-based compensation	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	2,185	(621)	(473)
Premiums paid and costs incurred on debt redemption	0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	(5,163)	(3,579)	(3,664)
Intercompany	0	0	0
Cash provided by operations from continuing operations	1	0	2
Cash used by operations from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Cash provided by operations	1	0	2
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investments in available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Investments and acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Advances to (from) parent and consolidated subsidiaries	(6,055)	(5,506)	(5,302)
Other investment proceeds	0	0	0
Cash used by investing activities	(6,055)	(5,506)	(5,302)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Borrowings	0	0	0
Debt repayments	0	0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity instruments		0	0
Principal payments on capital leases	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Other financing activities	(3)	3	0
Change in due to/from parent and investment in segment	6,057	5,503	5,300
Cash used by financing activities	6,054	5,506	5,300
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	0	0	0
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	0	0	0
Parent Company \| Reportable Legal Entities
OPERATIONS
Net income	5,244	3,925	3,832
Less Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(11)	(37)
Net income from continuing operations	5,244	3,914	3,795
Adjustments for noncash and nonoperating items:
Depreciation and amortization	10	10	12
Amortization of film and television costs	0	0	0
Asset impairments	0	6	15
(Gain) loss on investments and other assets, net	(43)	(30)	12
Excess (deficiency) of distributions over equity in pretax income of consolidated subsidiaries, net of cash distributions	(7,920)	(7,633)	(6,894)
Equity in losses of investee companies, net of cash distributions	10	2	(2)
Equity-based compensation	49	103	35
Deferred income taxes	(1,010)	236	328
Premiums paid and costs incurred on debt redemption	723	917	72
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	(1,310)	58	144
Intercompany	0	0	0
Cash provided by operations from continuing operations	(4,247)	(2,417)	(2,483)
Cash used by operations from discontinued operations	(2)	(4)	6
Cash provided by operations	(4,249)	(2,421)	(2,477)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investments in available-for-sale securities	(1)	(3)	(22)
Investments and acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(50)	(34)	(43)
Capital expenditures	(1)	(9)	(47)
Advances to (from) parent and consolidated subsidiaries	5,092	5,157	4,788
Other investment proceeds	49	71	43
Cash used by investing activities	5,089	5,182	4,719
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Borrowings	4,270	3,828	3,755
Debt repayments	(3,220)	(2,820)	(2,100)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	206	172	165
Excess tax benefit from equity instruments		88	151
Principal payments on capital leases	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		(2,322)	(3,632)
Dividends paid	(1,265)	(1,269)	(1,150)
Other financing activities	(650)	(797)	(78)
Change in due to/from parent and investment in segment	0	0	0
Cash used by financing activities	(659)	(3,120)	(2,889)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS	181	(359)	(647)
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	617	976	1,623
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	798	617	976
Guarantor Subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
OPERATIONS
Net income	6,338	5,501	4,872
Less Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(34)	(37)
Net income from continuing operations	6,338	5,467	4,835
Adjustments for noncash and nonoperating items:
Depreciation and amortization	116	104	111
Amortization of film and television costs	3,016	2,906	2,779
Asset impairments	1	2	1
(Gain) loss on investments and other assets, net	(40)	1	(20)
Excess (deficiency) of distributions over equity in pretax income of consolidated subsidiaries, net of cash distributions	(5,557)	(5,392)	(4,687)
Equity in losses of investee companies, net of cash distributions	1	0	0
Equity-based compensation	87	81	65
Deferred income taxes	(1,306)	315	330
Premiums paid and costs incurred on debt redemption	364	91	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	3,527	(1,649)	(1,111)
Intercompany	572	3,001	2,335
Cash provided by operations from continuing operations	7,119	4,927	4,638
Cash used by operations from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Cash provided by operations	7,119	4,927	4,638
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investments in available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Investments and acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(28)	(54)	(3)
Capital expenditures	(131)	(104)	(78)
Advances to (from) parent and consolidated subsidiaries	963	348	515
Other investment proceeds	72	19	73
Cash used by investing activities	876	209	507
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Borrowings	0	0	0
Debt repayments	(1,780)	(480)	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity instruments		0	0
Principal payments on capital leases	(24)	(12)	(9)
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Other financing activities	(378)	(113)	(22)
Change in due to/from parent and investment in segment	(5,661)	(4,728)	(5,116)
Cash used by financing activities	(7,843)	(5,333)	(5,147)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS	152	(197)	(2)
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	91	288	290
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	243	91	288
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries \| Reportable Legal Entities
OPERATIONS
Net income	6,153	5,229	4,532
Less Discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(34)	(37)
Net income from continuing operations	6,153	5,195	4,495
Adjustments for noncash and nonoperating items:
Depreciation and amortization	568	555	558
Amortization of film and television costs	6,193	5,455	5,280
Asset impairments	15	35	9
(Gain) loss on investments and other assets, net	(284)	(101)	39
Excess (deficiency) of distributions over equity in pretax income of consolidated subsidiaries, net of cash distributions	(2,041)	(1,873)	(1,912)
Equity in losses of investee companies, net of cash distributions	181	320	158
Equity-based compensation	91	93	82
Deferred income taxes	(879)	306	143
Premiums paid and costs incurred on debt redemption	0	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	(7,204)	(4,811)	(4,823)
Intercompany	(572)	(3,001)	(2,335)
Cash provided by operations from continuing operations	2,221	2,173	1,694
Cash used by operations from discontinued operations	(13)	(13)	(14)
Cash provided by operations	2,208	2,160	1,680
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Investments in available-for-sale securities	0	(6)	(19)
Investments and acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(628)	(1,140)	(626)
Capital expenditures	(524)	(319)	(298)
Advances to (from) parent and consolidated subsidiaries	0	1	(1)
Other investment proceeds	246	219	27
Cash used by investing activities	(906)	(1,245)	(917)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Borrowings	0	2	13
Debt repayments	(1)	(4)	(244)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity instruments		0	0
Principal payments on capital leases	(15)	(2)	(2)
Repurchases of common stock		0	0
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Other financing activities	(141)	(196)	(160)
Change in due to/from parent and investment in segment	(396)	(775)	(184)
Cash used by financing activities	(553)	(975)	(577)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS	749	(60)	186
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	831	891	705
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	$ 1,580	$ 831	$ 891

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