Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 577,658	$ 247,820		$ 1,455,183	$ 640,697
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		17,566	17,595
Accounts receivable, net		429,112	416,877
Broadcast rights		157,817	160,240
Income taxes receivable		9,056	42,683
Current assets held for sale		62,605	72,698
Prepaid expenses		35,862	57,235
Other		6,624	6,797
Total current assets		1,296,300	1,021,945
Property, plant and equipment		711,068	758,247
Accumulated depreciation		(187,148)	(142,677)
Net properties		523,920	615,570
Investments in subsidiaries		0	0
Broadcast rights		153,457	203,422
Goodwill		3,227,930	3,228,224		3,601,300
Other Intangible Assets, net		1,819,134	1,990,002
Non-current assets held for sale		625,329	838,864
Investments		1,674,883	1,692,700
Intercompany receivables		0	0
Intercompany loan receivable		0	0
Other Assets, Noncurrent		80,098	118,136	[1]
Total other assets		7,580,831	8,071,348
Total Assets	[2]	9,401,051	9,708,863
Accounts payable		60,553	53,872
Debt due within one year		19,924	19,862	[1]
Income taxes payable		21,166	2,373
Contract payable for broadcast rights		241,255	236,676
Deferred revenue		13,690	14,749
Interest payable		30,305	33,828
Current liabilities held for sale		54,284	59,962
Other		109,676	119,478
Total current liabilities		550,853	540,800
Long-term debt		3,391,627	3,409,489	[1],[3]
Intercompany loan payable		0	0
Deferred income taxes		984,248	890,706
Contracts payable for broadcast rights		314,840	385,107
Contract intangible liability, net		12	13,772
Intercompany Payables		0	0
Other		518,474	537,644
Non-current liabilities held for sale		95,314	99,623
Total non-current liabilities		5,304,515	5,336,341
Total Liabilities	[2]	5,855,368	5,877,141
Common Stock		100	100
Treasury stock		(632,207)	(400,153)
Additional paid-in-capital		4,561,760	4,619,618
Retained deficit		(308,105)	(322,351)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(81,782)	(71,016)		(46,541)
Total Tribune Media Company shareholders’ equity		3,539,766	3,826,198
Noncontrolling interests		5,917	5,524
Total shareholders' equity		3,545,683	3,831,722		5,195,431	4,925,561
Liabilities and Equity		9,401,051	9,708,863
Consolidation, Eliminations
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0		0	0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Broadcast rights		0	0
Income taxes receivable		0	0
Current assets held for sale		0	0
Prepaid expenses		0	0
Other		0	0
Total current assets		0	0
Property, plant and equipment		0	0
Accumulated depreciation		0	0
Net properties		0	0
Investments in subsidiaries		(10,609,030)	(10,479,353)
Broadcast rights		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Other Intangible Assets, net		0	0
Non-current assets held for sale		0	0
Investments		0	0
Intercompany receivables		(8,232,637)	(6,158,611)
Intercompany loan receivable		(27,000)	(27,000)
Other Assets, Noncurrent		(49,279)	(187,302)	[1]
Total other assets		(8,308,916)	(6,372,913)
Total Assets		(18,917,946)	(16,852,266)
Accounts payable		0	0
Debt due within one year		0	0	[1]
Income taxes payable		0	0
Contract payable for broadcast rights		0	0
Deferred revenue		0	0
Interest payable		0	0
Current liabilities held for sale		0	0
Other		0	0
Total current liabilities		0	0
Long-term debt		0	0	[1]
Intercompany loan payable		(27,000)	(27,000)
Deferred income taxes		(49,279)	(187,302)
Contracts payable for broadcast rights		0	0
Contract intangible liability, net		0	0
Intercompany Payables		(8,232,637)	(6,158,611)
Other		0	0
Non-current liabilities held for sale		0	0
Total non-current liabilities		(8,308,916)	(6,372,913)
Total Liabilities		(8,308,916)	(6,372,913)
Common Stock		0	0
Treasury stock		0	0
Additional paid-in-capital		(9,775,997)	(9,817,885)
Retained deficit		(854,127)	(678,351)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		21,094	16,883
Total Tribune Media Company shareholders’ equity		(10,609,030)	(10,479,353)
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total shareholders' equity		(10,609,030)	(10,479,353)
Liabilities and Equity		(18,917,946)	(16,852,266)
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		574,638	235,508		1,433,388	555,442
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		17,566	17,595
Accounts receivable, net		198	672
Broadcast rights		0	0
Income taxes receivable		0	0
Current assets held for sale		0	0
Prepaid expenses		11,640	16,747
Other		4,894	4,494
Total current assets		608,936	275,016
Property, plant and equipment		55,529	47,909
Accumulated depreciation		(21,635)	(10,607)
Net properties		33,894	37,302
Investments in subsidiaries		10,502,544	10,374,921
Broadcast rights		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Other Intangible Assets, net		0	0
Non-current assets held for sale		0	0
Investments		19,079	18,276
Intercompany receivables		2,326,261	1,560,781
Intercompany loan receivable		27,000	27,000
Other Assets, Noncurrent		51,479	189,517	[1]
Total other assets		2,423,819	1,795,574
Total Assets		13,569,193	12,482,813
Accounts payable		29,827	29,799
Debt due within one year		15,921	15,874	[1]
Income taxes payable		0	0
Contract payable for broadcast rights		0	0
Deferred revenue		0	0
Interest payable		30,301	33,826
Current liabilities held for sale		0	0
Other		38,867	44,615
Total current liabilities		114,916	124,114
Long-term debt		3,380,860	3,394,753	[1]
Intercompany loan payable		0	0
Deferred income taxes		0	0
Contracts payable for broadcast rights		0	0
Contract intangible liability, net		0	0
Intercompany Payables		6,065,424	4,651,615
Other		468,227	486,133
Non-current liabilities held for sale		0	0
Total non-current liabilities		9,914,511	8,532,501
Total Liabilities		10,029,427	8,656,615
Common Stock		100	100
Treasury stock		(632,207)	(400,153)
Additional paid-in-capital		4,561,760	4,619,618
Retained deficit		(308,105)	(322,351)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(81,782)	(71,016)
Total Tribune Media Company shareholders’ equity		3,539,766	3,826,198
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total shareholders' equity		3,539,766	3,826,198
Liabilities and Equity		13,569,193	12,482,813
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		720	7,011		12,204	71,788
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Accounts receivable, net		428,254	415,117
Broadcast rights		155,266	157,538
Income taxes receivable		9,056	42,683
Current assets held for sale		37,300	49,784
Prepaid expenses		24,074	40,333
Other		1,729	2,299
Total current assets		656,399	714,765
Property, plant and equipment		547,601	604,911
Accumulated depreciation		(159,472)	(126,944)
Net properties		388,129	477,967
Investments in subsidiaries		106,486	104,432
Broadcast rights		153,374	203,376
Goodwill		3,220,300	3,220,300
Other Intangible Assets, net		1,729,829	1,889,646
Non-current assets held for sale		531,376	739,954
Investments		1,637,909	1,659,029
Intercompany receivables		5,547,542	4,265,957
Intercompany loan receivable		0	0
Other Assets, Noncurrent		75,191	113,412	[1]
Total other assets		12,895,521	12,091,674
Total Assets		14,046,535	13,388,838
Accounts payable		29,703	22,755
Debt due within one year		0	0	[1]
Income taxes payable		21,130	2,373
Contract payable for broadcast rights		238,497	233,660
Deferred revenue		13,593	14,719
Interest payable		0	0
Current liabilities held for sale		44,763	43,204
Other		70,589	74,628
Total current liabilities		418,275	391,339
Long-term debt		0	0	[1]
Intercompany loan payable		27,000	27,000
Deferred income taxes		871,923	909,521
Contracts payable for broadcast rights		314,755	385,052
Contract intangible liability, net		12	13,772
Intercompany Payables		1,912,259	1,398,655
Other		50,227	51,488
Non-current liabilities held for sale		86,517	88,391
Total non-current liabilities		3,262,693	2,873,879
Total Liabilities		3,680,968	3,265,218
Common Stock		0	0
Treasury stock		0	0
Additional paid-in-capital		9,486,179	9,529,071
Retained deficit		888,088	600,853
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(8,700)	(6,304)
Total Tribune Media Company shareholders’ equity		10,365,567	10,123,620
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total shareholders' equity		10,365,567	10,123,620
Liabilities and Equity		14,046,535	13,388,838
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		2,300	5,301		$ 9,591	$ 13,467
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Accounts receivable, net		660	1,088
Broadcast rights		2,551	2,702
Income taxes receivable		0	0
Current assets held for sale		25,305	22,914
Prepaid expenses		148	155
Other		1	4
Total current assets		30,965	32,164
Property, plant and equipment		107,938	105,427
Accumulated depreciation		(6,041)	(5,126)
Net properties		101,897	100,301
Investments in subsidiaries		0	0
Broadcast rights		83	46
Goodwill		7,630	7,924
Other Intangible Assets, net		89,305	100,356
Non-current assets held for sale		93,953	98,910
Investments		17,895	15,395
Intercompany receivables		358,834	331,873
Intercompany loan receivable		0	0
Other Assets, Noncurrent		2,707	2,509	[1]
Total other assets		570,407	557,013
Total Assets		703,269	689,478
Accounts payable		1,023	1,318
Debt due within one year		4,003	3,988	[1]
Income taxes payable		36	0
Contract payable for broadcast rights		2,758	3,016
Deferred revenue		97	30
Interest payable		4	2
Current liabilities held for sale		9,521	16,758
Other		220	235
Total current liabilities		17,662	25,347
Long-term debt		10,767	14,736	[1]
Intercompany loan payable		0	0
Deferred income taxes		161,604	168,487
Contracts payable for broadcast rights		85	55
Contract intangible liability, net		0	0
Intercompany Payables		254,954	108,341
Other		20	23
Non-current liabilities held for sale		8,797	11,232
Total non-current liabilities		436,227	302,874
Total Liabilities		453,889	328,221
Common Stock		0	0
Treasury stock		0	0
Additional paid-in-capital		289,818	288,814
Retained deficit		(33,961)	77,498
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(12,394)	(10,579)
Total Tribune Media Company shareholders’ equity		243,463	355,733
Noncontrolling interests		5,917	5,524
Total shareholders' equity		249,380	361,257
Liabilities and Equity		$ 703,269	$ 689,478

[1] December 31, 2015 balances have been reclassified to present debt issuance costs as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of an associated debt liability in accordance with ASU 2015-03.

[2] The Company’s consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $97 million and $108 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. The Company’s consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $3 million and $3 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the Company (see Note 1).

[3] (1) December 31, 2015 balances have been reclassified to present debt issuance costs as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of an associated debt liability in accordance with ASU 2015-03. See Note 1 for further information.