Acquisitions - Acquisition Information (Details)						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 19, 2019 USD ($) television_station	Jun. 10, 2019 USD ($)	May 01, 2019 USD ($) television_station	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill						$ 1,323,312,000	$ 834,013,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses						354,615,000	$ 157,215,000
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | television_station	8
Business acquisition, purchase price	$ 582,000,000
Revenue of acquiree since acquisition date						9,800,000
Other current assets	3,541,000
Property and equipment	59,373,000
Right-of-use assets	82,447,000
Goodwill	212,065,000
Accrued expenses	(1,635,000)
Other current liabilities	(2,867,000)
Operating lease liabilities	(79,766,000)
Net purchase price	582,358,000
Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | television_station			15
Business acquisition, purchase price			$ 521,000,000
Net working capital adjustment used in combination			23,900,000
Revenue of acquiree since acquisition date						64,800,000
Accounts receivable			26,264,000
Other current assets			986,000
Property and equipment			53,671,000
Right-of-use assets			4,667,000
Goodwill			253,735,000
Accounts payable			(15,000)
Accrued expenses			(3,835,000)
Other current liabilities			(280,000)
Operating lease liabilities			(4,387,000)
Net purchase price			544,906,000
Cordillera Communications, LLC and Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Transaction related costs						19,900,000
Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price				$ 55,000,000
Revenue of acquiree since acquisition date						17,600,000
Property and equipment				11,721,000
Right-of-use assets				296,000
Goodwill				18,349,000
Operating lease liabilities				(296,000)
Net purchase price				54,970,000
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable						26,264,000
Other current assets						4,527,000
Property and equipment						124,765,000
Right-of-use assets						87,410,000
Goodwill						484,149,000
Accounts payable						(15,000)
Accrued expenses						(5,470,000)
Other current liabilities						(3,147,000)
Operating lease liabilities						(84,449,000)
Net purchase price						1,182,234,000
Raycom Media, Inc. And Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill						484,000,000
Omny Studio
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price		$ 8,500,000
Goodwill		5,200,000
Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price					$ 160,000,000
Cash					10,515,000
Accounts receivable					8,879,000
Other current assets					679,000
Property and equipment					705,000
Goodwill					83,876,000
Other intangible assets					75,000,000
Accounts payable					(1,881,000)
Accrued expenses					(2,964,000)
Other current liabilities					(19,000)
Deferred tax liability					(14,577,000)
Net purchase price					160,213,000
Television network affiliation relationships | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets	157,000,000
Television network affiliation relationships | Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets			168,700,000
Television network affiliation relationships | Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets				17,400,000
Television network affiliation relationships | Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets						$ 343,100,000
Television network affiliation relationships | Raycom Media, Inc. And Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period						20 years
Advertiser relationships | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets	7,300,000
Advertiser relationships | Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets			5,900,000
Advertiser relationships | Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets				700,000
Advertiser relationships | Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets						$ 13,900,000
Advertiser relationships | Raycom Media, Inc. And Cordillera Communications, LLC | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period						5 years
Advertiser relationships | Raycom Media, Inc. And Cordillera Communications, LLC | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period						10 years
Shared Service Agreements | Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets			$ 13,000,000
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period			20 years
Shared Service Agreements | Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets						$ 13,000,000
Developed Technology Rights | Omny Studio
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets		$ 3,800,000
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period		10 years
Developed Technology Rights | Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets					$ 39,000,000
Developed Technology Rights | Triton Digital Canada, Inc. | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period					8 years
Developed Technology Rights | Triton Digital Canada, Inc. | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period					12 years
Customer Relationships | Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets					$ 31,000,000
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period					12 years
Trade Names | Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets					$ 5,000,000
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period					10 years
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses	$ 144,900,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses | Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses			$ 26,500,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses | Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses				$ 6,800,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses | Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses						$ 178,200,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026 | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of debt			240,000,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026 | Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of debt			525,000,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026 | Cordillera Communications, LLC and Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt face value			$ 765,000,000