v3.10.0.1

Dispositions and the VodafoneZiggo JV Transaction (Pending and Completed Dispositions Narrative) (Details) € in Millions					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 21, 2018 EUR (€)	Jul. 31, 2018 USD ($)	May 09, 2018 EUR (€)	Dec. 29, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 21, 2018 USD ($)	May 09, 2018 USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds received upon disposition of discontinued operation, net					$ 2,058,200,000	$ 0	$ 0
Authorized amount		$ 500,000,000.0
Gain on disposal of discontinued operations, net of taxes					1,098,100,000	$ 0	$ 0
Long-term Debt
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt		1,500,000,000
Long-term Debt | UPC Holding Bank Facility
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt		913,400,000
Long-term Debt | UPCB SPE Notes
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt		69,600,000
Long-term Debt | VM Notes
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt		$ 515,500,000
Vodafone Disposal Group | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Consideration for disposal			€ 10,600.0						$ 12,100,000,000
Compensatory payment			€ 250.0						$ 286,300,000
Term of transitional services			4 years
UPC Austria | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Term of transitional services		4 years
Payments of vendor financing obligations		$ 35,500,000
Cumulative foreign currency translation gains		$ 79,500,000
Revenue from transitional services					$ 17,900,000
UPC DTH | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Consideration for disposal	€ 180.0							$ 206,000,000
Term of transitional services	2 years
LiLAC Shares | Discontinued Operations, Split-off Transaction
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Common shares distributed				100.00%
Gain (loss) on discontinued operation				$ 0
Services agreement term					2 years
Services agreement renewal term					1 year

X

- Definition

Disposal Group, Compensatory Payment

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_DisposalGroupCompensatoryPayment
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operations, Common Share Distribution

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsCommonShareDistribution
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Disposal Group, Term of Transitional Services

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_DisposalGroupTermofTransitionalServices
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Revenue From Transitional Services

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_RevenueFromTransitionalServices
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Services Agreement Renewal Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_ServicesAgreementRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Services Agreement Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lbtya_ServicesAgreementTerm
Namespace Prefix:	lbtya_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount before tax of gain (loss) not previously recognized resulting from the disposal of a discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=d3e1361-107760

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222160&loc=d3e957-107759

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222160&loc=SL51721525-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossFromDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationBeforeIncomeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount after tax of gain (loss) not previously recognized resulting from the disposal of a discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222160&loc=d3e957-107759

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=d3e1361-107760

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222160&loc=SL51721525-107759

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5C
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=SL51721675-107760

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposalOfDiscontinuedOperationNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount of consideration received or receivable for the disposal of assets and liabilities, including discontinued operation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationConsideration
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) in the disposal group, including discontinued operation, recognized in the statement of income as a result of the sale or complete or substantially complete liquidation of an investment in a foreign entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 830
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 20
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109240241&loc=d3e32211-110900

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationForeignCurrencyTranslationGainsLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Gross amount of debt extinguished.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

This element represents the cash inflow during the period from the sale of a component of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinessesNetOfCashDivested
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Cash outflows under financing arrangements with vendors (seller-financed debt), which had a maturity date at inception of more than one year (or more than one operating cycle, if longer); such debt may have arisen from purchases of property, plant and equipment or other productive assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongtermLoansFromVendors
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount of stock repurchase plan authorized.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAxis=us-gaap_LongTermDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=lbtya_UPCHoldingBankFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=lbtya_UPCBSPENotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=lbtya_VMNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=lbtya_VodafoneDisposalGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationsDisposedOfBySaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=lbtya_UPCAustriaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=lbtya_UPCDTHMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=lbtya_LiLACGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationsDisposedOfByMeansOtherThanSaleSpinoffMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: