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LONG-LIVED ASSETS, Definite-lived Intangibles (Details) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dec. 31, 2011
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Y
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Dec. 31, 2009
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Dec. 31, 2011
Revenue-generating contracts [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Revenue-generating contracts [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Non-compete agreements [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Non-compete agreements [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Venue management and leaseholds [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Venue management and leaseholds [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Technology [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Technology [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Trademarks and naming rights [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Trademarks and naming rights [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Client/vendor relationships [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2010
Client/vendor relationships [Member]
Y
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Dec. 31, 2011
Other [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2010
Other [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2010
Ticketmaster [Member]
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Apr. 30, 2010
LN - Haymon [Member]
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| Definite-lived Intangibles [Roll Forward] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gross carrying amount - Beginning of period | $ 1,264,426,000 | $ 578,838,000 | $ 482,588,000 | $ 285,145,000 | $ 175,740,000 | $ 132,912,000 | $ 115,225,000 | $ 112,044,000 | $ 95,102,000 | $ 0 | $ 23,998,000 | $ 21,925,000 | $ 365,344,000 | $ 19,275,000 | $ 6,429,000 | $ 7,537,000 | |||
| Accumulated amortization - Beginning of period | (267,158,000) | (136,197,000) | (112,575,000) | (52,576,000) | (68,833,000) | (45,568,000) | (30,878,000) | (23,354,000) | (11,797,000) | 0 | (9,522,000) | (8,525,000) | (30,314,000) | (3,930,000) | (3,239,000) | (2,244,000) | |||
| Net - Beginning of period | 997,268,000 | 442,641,000 | 370,013,000 | 232,569,000 | 106,907,000 | 87,344,000 | 84,347,000 | 88,690,000 | 83,305,000 | 0 | 14,476,000 | 13,400,000 | 335,030,000 | 15,345,000 | 3,190,000 | 5,293,000 | |||
| Gross carrying amount - Acquisitions | 57,404,000 | 720,217,000 | 51,477,000 | 217,827,000 | (3,768,000) | 43,861,000 | 3,828,000 | 4,872,000 | 8,814,000 | 96,096,000 | 2,578,000 | 6,493,000 | (5,538,000) | 351,060,000 | 13,000 | 8,000 | |||
| Gross carrying amount - Divestitures | (4,399,000) | (360,000) | 0 | 0 | (100,000) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (360,000) | (4,299,000) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Gross carrying amount - Foreign currency and other | (21,613,000) | (34,269,000) | 8,361,000 | (20,384,000) | (107,000) | (1,033,000) | (2,281,000) | (1,691,000) | (579,000) | (994,000) | (2,059,000) | (4,060,000) | (24,932,000) | (4,991,000) | (16,000) | (1,116,000) | |||
| Total gross carrying amount | 31,392,000 | 685,588,000 | 59,838,000 | 197,443,000 | (3,975,000) | 42,828,000 | 1,547,000 | 3,181,000 | 8,235,000 | 95,102,000 | 519,000 | 2,073,000 | (34,769,000) | 346,069,000 | (3,000) | (1,108,000) | |||
| Accumulated amortization - Amortization Expense | (175,217,000) | (161,949,000) | (64,497,000) | (76,607,000) | (25,558,000) | (24,258,000) | (10,379,000) | (8,224,000) | (20,127,000) | (11,797,000) | (8,525,000) | (4,649,000) | (45,178,000) | (30,451,000) | (953,000) | (5,964,000) | |||
| Accumulated amortization - Divestitures | 422,000 | 0 | 61,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 361,000 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Accumulated amortization - Foreign currency and other | 19,847,000 | 30,988,000 | 6,183,000 | 16,608,000 | 866,000 | 993,000 | 2,240,000 | 700,000 | 112,000 | 0 | 1,845,000 | 3,652,000 | 8,583,000 | 4,067,000 | 18,000 | 4,969,000 | |||
| Total accumulated amortization | (154,948,000) | (130,961,000) | (58,314,000) | (59,999,000) | (24,631,000) | (23,265,000) | (8,139,000) | (7,524,000) | (20,015,000) | (11,797,000) | (6,680,000) | (997,000) | (36,234,000) | (26,384,000) | (935,000) | (995,000) | |||
| Gross carrying amount - End of period | 1,295,818,000 | 1,264,426,000 | 578,838,000 | 542,426,000 | 482,588,000 | 171,765,000 | 175,740,000 | 116,772,000 | 115,225,000 | 103,337,000 | 95,102,000 | 24,517,000 | 23,998,000 | 330,575,000 | 365,344,000 | 6,426,000 | 6,429,000 | ||
| Accumulated amortization - End of period | (422,106,000) | (267,158,000) | (136,197,000) | (170,889,000) | (112,575,000) | (93,464,000) | (68,833,000) | (39,017,000) | (30,878,000) | (31,812,000) | (11,797,000) | (16,202,000) | (9,522,000) | (66,548,000) | (30,314,000) | (4,174,000) | (3,239,000) | ||
| Net - End of period | 873,712,000 | 997,268,000 | 442,641,000 | 371,537,000 | 370,013,000 | 78,301,000 | 106,907,000 | 77,755,000 | 84,347,000 | 71,525,000 | 83,305,000 | 8,315,000 | 14,476,000 | 264,027,000 | 335,030,000 | 2,252,000 | 3,190,000 | ||
| Foreign exchange rate changes | 4,600,000 | 8,300,000 | |||||||||||||||||
| Definite-lived intangible assets acquired | 585,000,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ownership interest acquired (in hundredths) | 49.00% | ||||||||||||||||||
| Additions, weighted average life (years) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||
| Divestitures of definite-lived intangible assets [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Definite-lived intangible assets divested related to sale of artist management company | 4,400,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Impairment of definite-lived intangible assets [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Impairment related to definite-lived intangible assets | 14,100,000 | 17,200,000 | 900,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Impaired intangible assets, income statement classification | depreciation and amortization expense | depreciation and amortization expense | depreciation and amortization expense | ||||||||||||||||
| Impaired intangible assets, segment classification | Concerts | Concerts | Concerts | ||||||||||||||||
| Additional amortization expense due to change in estimate | 5,900,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total amortization expense from definite-lived intangible assets | 175,200,000 | 151,900,000 | 64,600,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Reduction to amortization expense related to a non-cash gain on the settlement of a pre-existing relationship | 6,100,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Estimate of amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 138,183,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | 139,587,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | 121,549,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | 116,734,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | $ 101,970,000 | ||||||||||||||||||