CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 409,906	$ 232,070
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		16,610	16,608
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $29,082 and $17,205, respectively		782,198	883,921
Spectrum asset			67,171
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		132,498	151,997
Total current assets		1,341,212	1,351,767
Property and equipment, net		1,598,081	1,290,428
Goodwill		2,861,314	2,996,875
FCC licenses		2,856,374	2,921,465
Intangible assets, net		2,955,084	3,259,620
Other intangible assets, net		664,400	727,354
Assets held for sale		4,524	240,524
Investments		1,313,858	1,477,353
Other noncurrent assets, net		360,055	451,705
Total assets	[1]	13,290,502	13,989,737
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt		22,921	109,310
Accounts payable		161,083	157,366
Broadcast rights payable		111,144	120,165
Accrued expenses		279,816	422,511
Liability to surrender spectrum asset			77,962
Operating lease liabilities		34,434	35,043
Deferred revenue		47,498	18,725
Other current liabilities		14,846	6,475
Total current liabilities		671,742	947,557
Debt		7,859,619	8,383,278
Deferred tax liabilities		1,686,238	1,710,664
Other noncurrent liabilities		818,187	894,745
Total liabilities	[1]	11,035,786	11,936,244
Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock - $0.01 par value, 200,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding at each of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019
Additional paid-in capital		1,351,372	1,353,729
Accumulated other comprehensive income		19,850	19,850
Retained earnings		1,149,638	778,833
Treasury stock - at cost; 3,256,448 and 1,541,675 shares as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively		(286,705)	(121,388)
Total Nexstar Media Group, Inc. stockholders’ equity		2,234,628	2,031,497
Noncontrolling interests		20,088	21,996
Total stockholders’ equity		2,254,716	2,053,493
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		13,290,502	13,989,737
Network affiliation agreements [Member]
Current assets:
Intangible assets, net		2,290,684	2,532,266
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock		473	473
Total stockholders’ equity		$ 473	$ 473

[1] The consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 include certain assets held by consolidated VIEs of $339.6 million and $332.6 million, respectively, which are not available to be used to settle the obligations of Nexstar. The consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 include certain liabilities of consolidated VIEs of $59.8 million and $61.7 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the general credit of Nexstar. See Note 2 for additional information.