Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
segment
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Aug. 02, 2014
Jun. 17, 2014
Jan. 31, 2013
Apr. 30, 2014
Oct. 18, 2013
Basis of Presentation:                
Common stock, par value $ 0.0001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.0001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare     $ 0.0001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare $ 0.0001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare    
Principles of Consolidation:                
Ownership interest   18.00%ent_CostMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage            
Payment to acquire investment $ 0us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireOtherInvestments $ 1,500,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireOtherInvestments $ 0us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireOtherInvestments          
Impairment loss 1,500,000us-gaap_CostmethodInvestmentsOtherThanTemporaryImpairment              
Revenue Recognition:                
Equipment 35,507,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet 26,494,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet 57,845,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet          
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Abstract]                
Provision for bad debt 5,539,000us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts 760,000us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts 7,000us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts          
Product Development:                
Capitalized software development costs 3,300,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions 1,400,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions 0us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions          
Restricted Cash:                
Restricted cash 3,700,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents 3,300,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents            
Content Library:                
Useful life of licensed film rights 1 year 6 months              
Property, plant and equipment:                
Payments to acquire equipment 9,074,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment 11,477,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment 2,432,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment          
Intangible Assets and Goodwill:                
Number of reportable segments 2us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments              
Goodwill 53,014,000us-gaap_Goodwill 52,345,000us-gaap_Goodwill 0us-gaap_Goodwill 400,000us-gaap_Goodwill        
Business acquisitions and supplemental pro forma information:                
Ownership percentage in subsidiary           86.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired    
Income Taxes:                
Valuation allowance 73,659,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 50,782,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 39,122,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance          
Derivative Warrants:                
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives (6,955,000)us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives (63,961,000)us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives (3,576,000)us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives          
Public Warrants                
Derivative Warrants:                
Warrants repurchased and retired 403,054ent_WarrantsRepurchasedandRetiredDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember 		500,000ent_WarrantsRepurchasedandRetiredDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember 		           
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives 7,000,000us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember 		64,000,000us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember 		0us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember 		         
Series C preferred warrants                
Derivative Warrants:                
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives   100,000us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_SeriesCWarrantsMember 		3,600,000us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnDerivatives
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_SeriesCWarrantsMember 		         
Minimum                
Restricted Cash:                
Letter of credit, period secured by cash 1 year              
Maximum                
Restricted Cash:                
Letter of credit, period secured by cash 3 years              
Computer software and ERP system                
Property, plant and equipment:                
Property, plant and equipment, useful life 3 years              
Equipment | Minimum                
Property, plant and equipment:                
Property, plant and equipment, useful life 3 years              
Equipment | Maximum                
Property, plant and equipment:                
Property, plant and equipment, useful life 10 years              
Connectivity equipment                
Property, plant and equipment:                
Payments to acquire equipment   5,300,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= ent_ConnectivityEquipmentMember 		           
Property, plant and equipment, useful life   5 years            
Property, plant and equipment, service life   5 years            
Building and Building Improvements                
Property, plant and equipment:                
Property, plant and equipment, useful life 30 years              
Domestic Deferred Tax Assets                
Income Taxes:                
Valuation allowance 70,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis
= ent_DomesticDeferredTaxAssetsMember 		48,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis
= ent_DomesticDeferredTaxAssetsMember 		           
Foreign Deferred Tax Assets                
Income Taxes:                
Valuation allowance 2,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis
= ent_ForeignDeferredTaxAssetsMember 		1,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis
= ent_ForeignDeferredTaxAssetsMember 		           
Row 44, Inc.                
Basis of Presentation:                
Common stock, par value           $ 0.0001us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_Row44IncMember 		   
AIA Purchase Agreement                
Intangible Assets and Goodwill:                
Goodwill           35,385,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_AiaPurchaseAgreementMember 		   
Business acquisitions and supplemental pro forma information:                
Ownership percentage in subsidiary 100.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_AiaPurchaseAgreementMember 		94.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_AiaPurchaseAgreementMember 		      86.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_AiaPurchaseAgreementMember 		6.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_AiaPurchaseAgreementMember 		 
IFES Acquisition Corp Limited                
Intangible Assets and Goodwill:                
Goodwill 12,425,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_IFESAcquisitionCorpLimitedMember 		            12,117,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_IFESAcquisitionCorpLimitedMember 		[1]
Business acquisitions and supplemental pro forma information:                
Ownership percentage in subsidiary               100.00%us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ent_IFESAcquisitionCorpLimitedMember
Prepaid and Other Current Assets                
Restricted Cash:                
Restricted cash 1,500,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= ent_PrepaidandOtherCurrentAssetsMember 		1,000,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= ent_PrepaidandOtherCurrentAssetsMember 		           
Other Non-current Assets                
Restricted Cash:                
Restricted cash 2,200,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember 		2,300,000us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember 		           
Inventory and Other Long-Term Assets                
Inventory, net:                
Deferred equipment costs 7,800,000us-gaap_DeferredCostsCurrent
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= ent_InventoryandOtherLongTermAssetsMember 		6,200,000us-gaap_DeferredCostsCurrent
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= ent_InventoryandOtherLongTermAssetsMember 		           
STC Fees                
Revenue Recognition:                
Equipment 600,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= ent_SupplementalTypeCertificatesSTCFeesMember 		700,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= ent_SupplementalTypeCertificatesSTCFeesMember 		200,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= ent_SupplementalTypeCertificatesSTCFeesMember 		         
Global Eagle Warrants | Public Warrants                
Derivative Warrants:                
Warrants exchanged for shares   2,900,000ent_ClassofWarrantorRightWarrantsExchanged
/ us-gaap_ClassOfWarrantOrRightAxis
= ent_PublicWarrantsMember
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= ent_GlobalEagleWarrantsMember 		           
Common Stock                
Derivative Warrants:                
Warrants converted to common stock 19,118,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember 		900,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionOfConvertibleSecurities
/ us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember 		           
Content                
Intangible Assets and Goodwill:                
Goodwill 53,014,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ent_ContentMember 		52,345,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ent_ContentMember 		           
Russian Customer                
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts [Abstract]                
Provision for bad debt 4,100,000us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= ent_RussianCustomerMember 		             
Accounts receivable $ 4,100,000us-gaap_AccountsReceivableGross
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= ent_RussianCustomerMember 		             
[1] Included in the table above are $0.5 million of deferred tax assets, $6.6 million of deferred tax liabilities and $1.2 million of accrued taxes payable as of the IFES acquisition date, which were prepared using best estimates available. Due to the preliminary nature of IFES financial results prior to the October 18, 2013 acquisition date, the Company was unable to provide an accurate assessment of certain deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities and estimated income taxes payable for the period(s) prior to the acquisition date. As a result, these balances were considered preliminary at such time and were finalized during the year ended December 31, 2014.