Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99380562&loc=d3e13770-109266

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount before accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of accumulated impairment loss for an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13854-109267

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99380562&loc=d3e13777-109266

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) from adjustments after acquisition date under purchase accounting of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84229725&loc=d3e961-128460

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108376223&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

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

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ssp_LocalMediaSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ssp_NationalMediaSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ssp_CrackedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ssp_KatzBroadcastingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ssp_TritonDigitalCanadaInc.Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ssp_RaycomMediaInc.CordilleraCommunicationsLLCAndNexstarMediaGroupInc.Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ssp_OmnyStudioMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Goodwill by business segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Summary of activity related to goodwill by business segment
Gross balance		$ 1,539,172	$ 1,101,330	$ 1,023,266	$ 813,694
Accumulated impairment losses		(267,317)	(267,317)	(267,317)	(237,914)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period		834,013	755,949	575,780
Impairment charge	$ (29,400)
Balance, end of period		1,271,855	834,013	755,949
Local Media
Summary of activity related to goodwill by business segment
Gross balance		1,143,859	708,133	708,133	708,133
Accumulated impairment losses		(216,914)	(216,914)	(216,914)	(216,914)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period		491,219	491,219	491,219
Balance, end of period		926,945	491,219	491,219
National Media
Summary of activity related to goodwill by business segment
Gross balance		395,313	393,197	315,133	105,561
Accumulated impairment losses		(50,403)	(50,403)	(50,403)	$ (21,000)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period		342,794	264,730	84,561
Balance, end of period		344,910	342,794	264,730
Cracked acquisition
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Impairment charge				(29,403)
Cracked acquisition \| National Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Impairment charge				(29,403)
Katz Broadcasting Group
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions				209,572
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments			(5,812)
Katz Broadcasting Group \| National Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions				$ 209,572
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments			(5,812)
Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions			83,876
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments		(3,220)
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| National Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions			$ 83,876
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments		(3,220)
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions		435,726
Balance, end of period		435,726
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Local Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions		435,726
Omny Studio
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions		5,336
Omny Studio \| National Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Acquisitions		$ 5,336