Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Benefit Plans (Details Textual)

v2.4.1.9
Benefit Plans (Details Textual) (USD $)
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
May 31, 2009
Dec. 31, 2014
plan
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Share-based compensation expense   $ 78,212us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 68,876us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 63,822us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Stock-based awards expiration term 10 years      
Restricted stock conversion to common stock 1siri_CommonStockRestrictedStockConversionToCommonStock      
Common stock available for future grants   19,950,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant    
Number of other share-based benefit plans   4siri_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfShareBasedBenefitPlans    
Sirius XM Savings Plan [Member]        
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Share-based compensation expense       3,523us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
Minimum of employee contributions of pre-tax eligible earnings to Company 401(k) Savings Plan   1.00%siri_DefinedContributionPlanEmployeesContributionofTheirPretaxEarningstoSubsidiaryPlanMinimum
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Maximum of employee contributions of pre-tax eligible earnings to Company 401(k) Savings Plan   50.00%siri_DefinedContributionPlanEmployeesContributionofTheirPretaxEarningstoSubsidiaryPlanMaximum
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Percent of Company match of employee's voluntary contributions   50.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatch
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Percent of employee's pre-tax salary   6.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercent
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Maximum annual contributions per employee, percent   3.00%us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionsPerEmployeePercent
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Vesting percentage of employer contributions for each year of employment   33.33%siri_DefinedContributionPlanVestingPercentageofEmployerContributionsforEachYearofEmployment
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
   
Savings plan, fully vested period   3 years    
Contributions by employer   5,385us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerDiscretionaryContributionAmount
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
4,181us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerDiscretionaryContributionAmount
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= siri_SiriusXmPlanMember
 
Third Parties [Member]        
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Granted, options (in shares)   0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= siri_ThirdPartiesMember
0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= siri_ThirdPartiesMember
0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= siri_ThirdPartiesMember
Restricted Stock Units RSU and Stock Options [Member]        
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Total unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested share based payment awards for restricted stock units, net of estimated forfeitures   162,985us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= siri_RestrictedStockUnitsRsuAndStockOptionsMember
164,292us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= siri_RestrictedStockUnitsRsuAndStockOptionsMember
 
Weighted average expected period for recognition of compensation expenses   3 years    
Employee Stock Option [Member]        
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Share-based compensation expense   69,754us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
66,231us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
60,299us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Granted, options (in shares)   61,852,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
57,228,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
58,626,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Weighted average grant date fair value of options granted (in dollars per share)   $ 1.05us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
$ 1.48us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
$ 1.09us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Total intrinsic value of stock options exercised   89,428us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
142,491us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
399,794us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodTotalIntrinsicValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)   15,228,394us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
32,649,857us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
 
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]        
Benefits Plans (Textual) [Abstract]        
Share-based compensation expense   8,458us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
2,645us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)   731,626us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
191,524us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Weighted average grant date fair value of restricted stock units granted (in dollars per share)   $ 3.38us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 3.59us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 0.00us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Total intrinsic value of restricted stock units that vested   $ 4,044us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsAggregateIntrinsicValueVested
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 605us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsAggregateIntrinsicValueVested
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 0us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsAggregateIntrinsicValueVested
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Granted, shares   6,108,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
6,873,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
8,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember