Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)						3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Jan. 07, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Jul. 26, 2019 USD ($)	May 01, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2023 USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2017 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 2,920,781,000			$ 2,950,919,000	$ 2,920,781,000
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt						7,400,000	$ 1,200,000	$ (15,300,000)	0	8,589,000	$ (15,347,000)
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount of reduction												$ 500,000,000
Revolving credit facility | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding letter of credits						7,100,000			6,700,000	7,100,000
Revolving credit facility | Variable rate credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit and term loan agreement		$ 400,000,000
Long-term debt						0			$ 330,000,000	0
Line of credit facility, interest rate at period end									8.22%
Weighted average interest rate									8.20%
Net leverage ratio requirement		5.0
Revolving credit facility | Variable rate credit facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of commitment fees of total unused commitment under revolving credit facility									0.30%
Revolving credit facility | Variable rate credit facility | Minimum | SOFR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range									1.75%
Revolving credit facility | Variable rate credit facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of commitment fees of total unused commitment under revolving credit facility									0.50%
Revolving credit facility | Variable rate credit facility | Maximum | SOFR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range									2.75%
Term loan, due in 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 284,250,000			$ 0	$ 284,250,000
Weighted average interest rate						5.67%			7.22%	5.67%
Debt issued													$ 300,000,000
Variable interest rate						6.38%				6.38%
Redemption of senior notes	$ 283,000,000
Write off of deferred financing costs	400,000
Term loan, due in 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 736,437,000			$ 728,825,000	$ 736,437,000
Weighted average interest rate						6.23%			8.01%	6.23%
Annual principal payment					$ 7,600,000
Variable interest rate						6.95%			8.03%	6.95%
Debt issuance costs					23,000,000
Minimum LIBOR rate		0.75%
Term loan, due in 2026 | SOFR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range									2.56%
Term loan, due in 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 559,000,000			$ 551,000,000	$ 559,000,000
Minimum LIBOR rate		0.75%
Annual principal payments		$ 8,000,000
Redemption of senior notes										$ 100,000,000
Write off of deferred financing costs									$ 1,100,000
Term loan, due in 2028 | SOFR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range		3.00%
Term loan, due in 2028 | Medium-term Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate						6.42%			8.44%	6.42%
Debt stated rate						7.13%			8.47%	7.13%
Sixth Amendment Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs		$ 23,400,000
Senior secured notes 3.875%, due in 2029 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issued			$ 550,000,000
Debt issuance costs			$ 13,800,000
Debt stated rate			3.875%
Debt issuance price as percentage of par			100.00%
Redemption of senior notes							$ 26,600,000
Senior secured notes 3.875%, due in 2029 | Senior unsecured notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt redemption price							93.59%
Eighth Amendment to the Third Amended Restated Credit Agreement | Variable rate credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit and term loan agreement	585,000,000
Proceeds from lines of credit	$ 283,000,000
Eighth Amendment to the Third Amended Restated Credit Agreement | Variable rate credit facility | Debt Covenant Period Two
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net leverage ratio requirement	4.75
Eighth Amendment to the Third Amended Restated Credit Agreement | Variable rate credit facility | Debt Covenant Period Three
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net leverage ratio requirement	4.50
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption of senior notes								15,400,000		$ 59,000,000
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2027 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issued				$ 500,000,000
Debt issuance costs				$ 10,700,000
Debt stated rate				5.875%
Debt issuance price as percentage of par				100.00%
Redemption of senior notes						$ 16,800,000	$ 42,200,000
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2027 | Senior unsecured notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 425,667,000			$ 425,667,000	425,667,000
Debt redemption price						90.63%	100.61%
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2031
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption of senior notes								$ 22,000,000		85,900,000
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2031 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issued			$ 500,000,000
Debt issuance costs			$ 12,500,000
Debt stated rate			5.375%
Debt issuance price as percentage of par			100.00%
Redemption of senior notes						$ 31,400,000	$ 54,500,000
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2031 | Senior Notes | Redemption, Period One
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of principal amount redeemed			40.00%
Debt redemption price			105.375%
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2031 | Senior Notes | Redemption, Period Two
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt redemption price			100.00%
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2031 | Senior unsecured notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt						$ 392,071,000			$ 392,071,000	$ 392,071,000
Debt redemption price						78.71%	95.73%
Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Term loan, due in 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issued					$ 765,000,000
ION Media | Term loan, due in 2028 | Medium-term Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issued		$ 800,000,000