Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Class A Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock	Common Stock Class B Common Stock	Common Stock Class C Common Stock	Additional Paid in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Noncontrolling Interest
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			35,938,000	173,624,000	42,945,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 742,133		$ 36	$ 174	$ 43	$ 107,008	$ 1,602	$ 31	$ 633,239
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	29,318						4,052		25,266
Equity-based compensation expense	35,733					13,057			22,676
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)		19,100,000	131,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	(1,232)					(1,232)			0
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards (in shares)			61,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards	0					0			0
Dividends declared	(2,961)						(2,961)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(11,617)								(11,617)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)			19,088,000	(19,088,000)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	$ 0		$ 19	$ (19)		53,403			(53,403)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock (in shares)	(6,100,000)			(6,055,000)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock	$ (60,644)			$ (6)		(9,085)			(51,553)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(52,535)					(52,535)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	29,512					29,512
Settlement of unit option loans	314					63			251
Foreign currency translation adjustment	331							48	283
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			55,218,000	148,481,000	42,945,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	708,352		$ 55	$ 149	$ 43	140,191	2,693	79	565,142
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	31,542						8,917		22,625
Equity-based compensation expense	29,524					15,487			14,037
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)		34,000,000.0	484,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	(1,418)		$ 1			(3,130)			1,711
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards (in shares)			80,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards	0					0			0
Dividends declared	(9,414)						(9,414)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(20,106)								(20,106)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)			33,986,000	(33,986,000)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	$ 0		$ 34	$ (34)		101,450			(101,450)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock (in shares)	(6,400,000)			(6,393,000)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock	$ (91,046)			$ (7)		(28,334)			(62,705)
Conversion of Class C common stock to Class B common stock (in shares)				42,945,000	(42,945,000)
Conversion of Class C common stock to Class B common stock				$ 43	$ (43)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(109,541)					(109,541)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	88,588					88,588
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			89,768,000	151,047,000	0
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	627,645		$ 90	$ 151	$ 0	204,711	2,420	79	420,194
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard	1,164						224		940
Net income	38,375						15,539		22,836
Equity-based compensation expense	28,733					21,079			7,654
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)		28,300,000	708,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	(4,422)					(5,803)			1,381
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards (in shares)			177,000
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of options and awards	3,001					653			2,348
Dividends declared	(17,883)						(17,883)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	$ (20,903)								(20,903)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)			28,281,000	(28,281,000)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock			$ 29	$ (29)		76,677			(76,677)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock (in shares)	(1,100,000)			(1,126,000)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock	$ (20,000)			$ 0		(7,758)			(12,242)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(116,789)					(116,789)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	93,359					93,359
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			119,009,000	121,640,000	0
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	610,967		$ 119	$ 122	$ 0	$ 266,129	9	$ 79	344,509
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard	$ (149)						$ (67)		$ (82)