Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Class A Common Stock	Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock	Common Stock Class B Common Stock	Additional Paid in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Noncontrolling Interest
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019				89,768	151,047
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 627,645			$ 90	$ 151	$ 204,711	$ 2,420	$ 79	$ 420,194
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(3,489)						(1,216)		(2,273)
Equity-based compensation expense	7,524					4,973			2,551
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)		4,600		630
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(3,911)					(3,375)			(536)
Dividends declared	(2,891)						(2,891)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(4,304)								(4,304)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)				4,637	(4,637)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock				$ 5	$ (5)	13,403			(13,403)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(19,198)					(19,198)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	16,610					16,610
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020				95,035	146,410
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020	617,837			$ 95	$ 146	217,124	(1,754)	79	402,147
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard	(149)						(67)		(82)
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020				119,009	121,640
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	610,967			$ 119	$ 122	266,129	9	79	344,509
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	24,394						11,641		12,753
Equity-based compensation expense	7,297					6,359			938
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)		7,700		812
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(5,474)		$ 1			(5,622)			147
Dividends declared	(6,562)						(6,562)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,696)								(5,696)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)				7,725	(7,725)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock				$ 8	$ (8)	22,364			(22,364)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(32,477)					(32,477)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	26,752					26,752
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(474)							(61)	(413)
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021				127,546	113,915
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2021	$ 618,727			$ 128	$ 114	$ 283,505	$ 5,088	$ 18	$ 329,874