CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 115,652	$ 87,680
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $13,358 and $5,805, respectively		562,943	218,058
Spectrum asset		305,764
Restricted cash			26,719
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		71,859	30,760
Total current assets		1,056,218	363,217
Property and equipment, net		734,138	276,153
Goodwill		2,142,846	473,304
FCC licenses		1,767,638	542,524
Other intangible assets, net		1,581,626	324,737
Restricted cash			901,080
Other noncurrent assets, net		199,181	85,070
Total assets	[1]	7,481,647	2,966,085
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt		92,808	28,093
Current portion of broadcast rights payable		16,659	16,512
Accounts payable		31,136	19,754
Accrued expenses		159,281	71,315
Interest payable		39,563	44,190
Liability to surrender spectrum asset		314,087
Other current liabilities		17,169	9,714
Total current liabilities		670,703	189,578
Debt		4,269,652	2,314,326
Deferred tax liabilities		619,441	132,008
Other noncurrent liabilities		340,541	45,819
Total liabilities	[1]	5,900,337	2,681,731
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock - $0.01 par value, 200,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding at each of December 31, 2017 and 2016
Additional paid-in capital		1,342,541	386,921
Accumulated other comprehensive income		6,140
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		299,523	(176,583)
Treasury stock - at cost; 1,325,049 and 876,744 shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively		(78,063)	(41,513)
Total Nexstar Media Group, Inc. stockholders' equity		1,570,614	169,141
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated variable interest entities		10,696	115,213
Total stockholders' equity		1,581,310	284,354
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		7,481,647	2,966,085
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock		473	316
Total stockholders' equity		$ 473	$ 316

[1] The consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 include certain assets held by consolidated VIEs of $426.9 million and $226.2 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of Nexstar. The consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $81.8 million and $39.2 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of Nexstar. See Note 2 for additional information.