Debt Instrument, Loan Period

No definition available.

Name:	sbac_DebtInstrumentLoanPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	sbac_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of face value price for issuance of term loan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	sbac_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of noncash expense included in interest expense to amortize debt discount and premium associated with the related debt instruments. Excludes amortization of financing costs. Alternate captions include noncash interest expense.

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+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

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+ Details

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

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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+ Details

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

- Definition

The average effective interest rate during the reporting period.

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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Date when the debt instrument is scheduled to be fully repaid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

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Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments.

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+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, before accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

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

- Definition

The percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the interest rate derivative.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeBasisSpreadOnVariableRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fixed interest rate related to the interest rate derivative.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFixedInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payments on the derivative liability.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow for the payment of debt classified as other, maturing after one year or the operating cycle, if longer.

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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Write-off of amounts previously capitalized as debt issuance cost in an extinguishment of debt.

+ References

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Debt (Term Loans under the Senior Credit Agreement) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)						3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 19, 2019	Nov. 19, 2019	May 23, 2019	Feb. 01, 2019	Apr. 11, 2018	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 03, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal balance							$ 10,414,000,000	$ 10,028,000,000
Repayment of term loans							24,000,000	1,947,000,000	$ 20,000,000
2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount							$ 1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date							Mar. 24, 2021
Percentage of par value price for issuance of term loan							99.75%
Quarterly payments											$ 3,800,000
Financing fees							$ 14,100,000
Repayment of term loans					$ 1,443,800,000	$ 3,800,000
Write-off of deferred financing fees					5,800,000
Discount related to debt					1,700,000
2015 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount							$ 500,000,000.0
Debt instrument, maturity date							Jun. 10, 2022
Percentage of par value price for issuance of term loan							99.00%
Quarterly payments										$ 1,300,000
Financing fees							$ 5,500,000
Repayment of term loans					486,300,000	$ 1,300,000
Write-off of deferred financing fees					3,200,000
Discount related to debt					3,100,000
2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	$ 1,950,000,000				$ 2,400,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date					Apr. 11, 2025		Apr. 11, 2025
Percentage of par value price for issuance of term loan					99.75%
Quarterly payments							$ 6,000,000.0
Accruing interest rate during the period							3.55%
Debt instrument, principal balance							$ 2,364,000,000	$ 2,388,000,000
Financing fees					$ 16,800,000
Repayment of term loans							$ 24,000,000.0
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.78%
2018 Term Loan [Member] \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan period			4 years	4 years
Notional amount			$ 750,000,000.0	$ 1,200,000,000								$ 1,950,000,000
Derivative basis spread on variable interest rate			2.00%	2.00%								1.75%
Derivative fixed interest rate			4.08%	4.495%								3.78%
2014 and 2015 Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of term loans					$ 1,930,000,000
Base Rate [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate							1.25%
Base Rate [Member] \| 2015 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate		0.75%					1.25%
Base Rate [Member] \| 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.75%				1.00%
Eurodollar [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate							2.25%
Eurodollar [Member] \| 2015 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate		1.75%					2.25%
Eurodollar [Member] \| 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate					2.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate							0.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| 2015 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate		0.00%					0.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate					0.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| 2014 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate							0.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| 2015 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate		0.00%					0.00%
Minimum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate					0.00%