SBA Communications (SBAC) 10-Q 3 Nov 22 2022 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document And Entity Information

Document And Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Oct. 25, 2022
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2022
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2022
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-16853
Entity Registrant Name	SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	FL
Entity Tax Identification Number	65-0716501
Entity Address, Address Line One	8051 Congress Avenue
Entity Address, City or Town	Boca Raton
Entity Address, State or Province	FL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	33487
City Area Code	561
Local Phone Number	995-7670
Title of 12(b) Security	Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol	SBAC
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock Shares Outstanding		107,965,538
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Entity Central Index Key	0001034054

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 201,211	$ 367,278
Restricted cash	75,166	65,561
Accounts receivable, net	116,966	101,950
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts	81,665	48,844
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	54,805	30,813
Total current assets	529,813	614,446
Property and equipment, net	2,658,366	2,575,487
Intangible assets, net	2,701,939	2,803,247
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	2,325,009	2,268,470
Acquired and other right-of-use assets, net	989,685	964,405
Other assets	744,202	575,644
Total assets	9,949,014	9,801,699
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	51,314	34,066
Accrued expenses	96,176	68,070
Current maturities of long-term debt	663,181	24,000
Deferred revenue	216,927	184,380
Accrued interest	25,106	49,096
Current lease liabilities	255,609	238,497
Other current liabilities	30,066	18,222
Total current liabilities	1,338,379	616,331
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt, net	11,696,068	12,278,694
Long-term lease liabilities	2,017,760	1,981,353
Other long-term liabilities	221,022	191,475
Total long-term liabilities	13,934,850	14,451,522
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	40,615	17,250
Shareholders' deficit:
Preferred stock - par value $0.01, 30,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding
Common stock - Class A, par value $0.01, 400,000 shares authorized, 107,964 shares and 108,956 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively	1,080	1,089
Additional paid-in capital	2,756,215	2,681,347
Accumulated deficit	(7,508,231)	(7,203,531)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(613,894)	(762,309)
Total shareholders' deficit	(5,364,830)	(5,283,404)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and shareholders' deficit	$ 9,949,014	$ 9,801,699

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	30,000,000	30,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock - Class A, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock - Class A, shares authorized	400,000,000	400,000,000
Common stock - Class A, shares issued	107,964,000	108,956,000
Common stock - Class A, shares outstanding	107,964,000	108,956,000

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Revenues:
Site leasing		$ 587,302	$ 535,492	$ 1,726,967	$ 1,564,814
Site development		88,282	53,813	220,393	148,882
Total revenues		675,584	589,305	1,947,360	1,713,696
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation, accretion, and amortization shown below):
Cost of site leasing		112,013	98,666	330,682	289,510
Cost of site development		65,540	41,357	165,809	116,172
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	[1]	65,843	51,000	191,241	156,546
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		6,844	5,730	18,776	17,525
Asset impairment and decommission costs		8,532	9,860	25,565	18,560
Depreciation, accretion, and amortization		173,825	170,916	524,541	530,266
Total operating expenses		432,597	377,529	1,256,614	1,128,579
Operating income		242,987	211,776	690,746	585,117
Other income (expense):
Interest income		2,858	945	6,878	2,124
Interest expense		(86,961)	(89,199)	(253,528)	(269,839)
Non-cash interest expense		(11,528)	(11,820)	(34,582)	(35,436)
Amortization of deferred financing fees		(4,955)	(4,934)	(14,758)	(14,690)
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net					(13,672)
Other (expense) income, net		(39,756)	(69,804)	2,262	(49,390)
Total other expense net		(140,342)	(174,812)	(293,728)	(380,903)
Income before income taxes		102,645	36,964	397,018	204,214
(Provision) benefit for income taxes		(2,883)	10,834	(39,797)	(15,494)
Net income		99,762	47,798	357,221	188,720
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		247		929
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation		$ 100,009	$ 47,798	$ 358,150	$ 188,720
Net income per common share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation:
Basic		$ 0.93	$ 0.44	$ 3.32	$ 1.72
Diluted		$ 0.91	$ 0.43	$ 3.27	$ 1.70
Weighted average number of common shares
Basic		107,916	109,577	107,950	109,487
Diluted		109,358	111,565	109,416	111,329
[1] Includes non-cash compensation of $ 24,945 and $ 16,589 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $ 72,309 and $ 57,249 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Consolidated Statements of Op_2

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Non-cash compensation expense			$ 74,140	$ 59,175
Selling, General And Administrative Expenses [Member]
Non-cash compensation expense	$ 24,945	$ 16,589	$ 72,309	$ 57,249

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 99,762	$ 47,798	$ 357,221	$ 188,720
Adjustments related to interest rate swaps	53,336	9,898	162,491	58,251
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(40,757)	(51,415)	(14,277)	(31,181)
Comprehensive income	112,341	6,281	505,435	215,790
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	247		1,130
Comprehensive income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation	$ 112,588	$ 6,281	$ 506,565	$ 215,790

Consolidated Statements of Shar

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Deficit - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member] Class A Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net [Member]	Total
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 1,098	$ 2,586,130	$ (6,604,028)	$ (807,582)	$ (4,824,382)
BALANCE, Shares at Dec. 31, 2020	109,819
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation			188,720		188,720
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements	$ 7	64,090			64,097
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements, Shares	651
Non-cash stock compensation		60,197			60,197
Adjustments related to interest rate swaps				58,251	58,251
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	$ (10)		(284,333)		(284,343)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock, Shares	(990)
Foreign currency translation adjustments attributable to SBA Communications Corporation				(31,181)	(31,181)
Dividends and dividend equivalents on common stock			(191,181)		(191,181)
Adjustment to redemption amount related to noncontrolling interests		1,517			1,517
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 1,095	2,711,934	(6,890,822)	(780,512)	(4,958,305)
BALANCE, Shares at Sep. 30, 2021	109,480
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2021	$ 1,095	2,657,540	(6,759,382)	(738,995)	(4,839,742)
BALANCE, Shares at Jun. 30, 2021	109,534
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation			47,798		47,798
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements	$ 3	36,984			36,987
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements, Shares	283
Non-cash stock compensation		17,410			17,410
Adjustments related to interest rate swaps				9,898	9,898
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	$ (3)		(115,418)		(115,421)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock, Shares	(337)
Foreign currency translation adjustments attributable to SBA Communications Corporation				(51,415)	(51,415)
Dividends and dividend equivalents on common stock			(63,820)		(63,820)
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 1,095	2,711,934	(6,890,822)	(780,512)	(4,958,305)
BALANCE, Shares at Sep. 30, 2021	109,480
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 1,089	2,681,347	(7,203,531)	(762,309)	$ (5,283,404)
BALANCE, Shares at Dec. 31, 2021	108,956				108,956
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation			358,150		$ 358,150
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements	$ 3	23,797			23,800
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements, Shares	308
Non-cash stock compensation		75,566			75,566
Adjustments related to interest rate swaps				162,491	162,491
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	$ (12)		(431,654)		(431,666)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock, Shares	(1,300)
Foreign currency translation adjustments attributable to SBA Communications Corporation				(14,076)	(14,076)
Dividends and dividend equivalents on common stock			(231,196)		(231,196)
Adjustment to redemption amount related to noncontrolling interests		(24,495)			(24,495)
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2022	$ 1,080	2,756,215	(7,508,231)	(613,894)	$ (5,364,830)
BALANCE, Shares at Sep. 30, 2022	107,964				107,964
BALANCE at Jun. 30, 2022	$ 1,079	2,717,963	(7,531,180)	(626,473)	$ (5,438,611)
BALANCE, Shares at Jun. 30, 2022	107,872
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation			100,009		100,009
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements	$ 1	13,221			13,222
Common stock issued in connection with equity awards and stock purchase plans, offset by the impact of net share settlements, Shares	92
Non-cash stock compensation		26,017			26,017
Adjustments related to interest rate swaps				53,336	53,336
Foreign currency translation adjustments attributable to SBA Communications Corporation				(40,757)	(40,757)
Dividends and dividend equivalents on common stock			(77,060)		(77,060)
Adjustment to redemption amount related to noncontrolling interests		(986)			(986)
BALANCE at Sep. 30, 2022	$ 1,080	$ 2,756,215	$ (7,508,231)	$ (613,894)	$ (5,364,830)
BALANCE, Shares at Sep. 30, 2022	107,964				107,964

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 357,221	$ 188,720
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, accretion, and amortization	524,541	530,266
(Gain) loss on remeasurement of U.S. denominated intercompany loans	(8,501)	42,582
Non-cash compensation expense	74,140	59,175
Non-cash asset impairment and decommission costs	25,202	17,935
Loss from extinguishment of debt, net		12,672
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	15,532	(2,711)
Other non-cash items reflected in the Statements of Operations	55,013	58,725
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable and costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, net	(33,895)	(6,371)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(31,446)	(25,589)
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	104,771	86,717
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	13,062	8,465
Accrued interest	(23,982)	(27,873)
Long-term lease liabilities	(96,092)	(83,885)
Other liabilities	21,500	32,502
Net cash provided by operating activities	997,066	891,330
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisitions	(418,721)	(1,187,754)
Capital expenditures	(148,348)	(90,407)
Purchase of investments	(506,581)	(755,530)
Proceeds from sale of investments	482,835	755,280
Other investing activities	(496)	589
Net cash used in investing activities	(591,311)	(1,277,822)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under Revolving Credit Facility	330,000	810,000
Repayments under Revolving Credit Facility	(270,000)	(1,190,000)
Proceeds from issuance of Senior Notes, net of fees		1,485,512
Repayment of Senior Notes		(757,500)
Proceeds from issuance of Tower Securities, net of fees		1,152,437
Repayment of Tower Securities		(760,000)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock	(431,666)	(284,343)
Payment of dividends on common stock	(230,102)	(190,456)
Proceeds from employee stock purchase/stock option plans	33,745	73,152
Payments related to taxes on stock options and restricted stock units	(9,905)	(9,025)
Other financing activities	11,860	(21,165)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(566,068)	308,612
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	4,561	(10,529)
NET CHANGE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	(155,752)	(88,409)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH:
Beginning of period	435,626	342,808
End of period	279,874	254,399
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	277,219	298,589
Income taxes	18,848	20,153
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION OF NON-CASH ACTIVITIES:
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities	137,126	27,691
Operating lease modifications and reassessments	36,181	21,829
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities	$ 3,701	$ 1,765

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 for SBA Communications Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, therefore, omit or condense certain footnotes and other information normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for fair financial statement presentation have been made. The results of operations for an interim period may not give a true indication of the results for the year. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts or balances to conform to the presentation adopted in the current year. The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. While the Company believes that such estimates are fair when considered in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, the actual amounts, when known, may vary from these estimates. Foreign Currency Translation All assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries that do not utilize the U.S. dollar as its functional currency are translated at period-end exchange rates, while revenues and expenses are translated at monthly average exchange rates during the period. Unrealized translation gains and losses are reported as foreign currency translation adjustments through Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net in the Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Deficit. For foreign subsidiaries where the U.S. dollar is the functional currency, monetary assets and liabilities of such subsidiaries, which are not denominated in U.S. dollars, are remeasured at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, and revenues and expenses are remeasured at monthly average rates prevailing during the year. Remeasurement gains and losses are reported as Other (expense) income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Intercompany Loans Subject to Remeasurement In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 830, the Company remeasures foreign denominated intercompany loans with the corresponding change in the balance being recorded in Other (expense) income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as settlement is anticipated or planned in the foreseeable future. The Company recorded a $ 25.5 million loss and a $ 45.0 million loss, net of taxes, on the remeasurement of intercompany loans for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and a $ 4.3 million gain and a $ 28.4 million loss, net of taxes, on the remeasurement of intercompany loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, due to changes in foreign exchange rates. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company funded $ 86.2 million and repaid $ 101.7 million of the intercompany loans. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the aggregate amount outstanding under the intercompany loan agreements subject to remeasurement with the Company’s foreign subsidiaries was $ 855.5 million and $ 872.9 million, respectively. Additionally, subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company funded $ 680.0 million to its Brazilian subsidiary through an intercompany loan to complete its previously announced acquisition with Grupo TorreSur (GTS).

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	2. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Items Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis — The Company’s asset retirement obligations are measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 3 inputs and are recorded in Other long-term liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair value of the asset retirement obligations is calculated using a discounted cash flow model. Refer to Note 16 for discussion of the Company’s redeemable non-controlling interests. Items Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis — The Company’s long-lived and intangible assets are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis using Level 3 inputs. The Company considers many factors and makes certain assumptions when making this assessment, including, but not limited to: general market and economic conditions, historical operating results, geographic location, lease-up potential and expected timing of lease-up. The fair value of the long-lived and intangible assets is calculated using a discounted cash flow model. Asset impairment and decommission costs for all periods presented and the related impaired assets primarily relate to the Company’s site leasing operating segment. The following summarizes the activity of asset impairment and decommission costs (in thousands): For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Asset impairment (1) $ 6,952 $ 8,323 $ 21,626 $ 13,691 Write-off of carrying value of decommissioned towers 1,275 1,130 3,599 3,718 Other (including third party decommission costs) 305 407 340 1,151 Total asset impairment and decommission costs $ 8,532 $ 9,860 $ 25,565 $ 18,560 (1) Represents impairment charges resulting from the Company’s regular analysis of whether the anticipated future discounted cash flows from certain towers are sufficient to recover the carrying value of the investment in those towers . The Company’s long-term investments were $ 44.0 million and $ 47.9 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, and are recorded in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Some of these investments provide for the Company to increase their investment in the future through call options exercisable by the Company and put options exercisable by the investee. These put and call options are recorded at fair market value. The estimation of the fair value of the investment involves the use of Level 3 inputs. The Company evaluates these investments for indicators of impairment. The Company considers impairment indicators such as negative changes in industry and market conditions, financial performance, business prospects, and other relevant events and factors. If indicators exist and the fair value of the investment is below the carrying amount, the investment could be impaired. Fair Value of Financial Instruments — The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable, and short-term investments approximate their estimated fair values due to the shorter maturity of these instruments. The Company’s estimate of its short-term investments is based primarily upon Level 1 reported market values. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had $ 21.1 million and $ 0.8 million of short-term investments, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company purchased $ 501.6 million and sold $ 481.6 million of short-term investments. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company purchased $ 755.4 million and sold $ 755.3 million of short-term investments. The Company determines fair value of its debt instruments utilizing various Level 2 sources including quoted prices and indicative quotes (non-binding quotes) from brokers that require judgment to interpret market information including implied credit spreads for similar borrowings on recent trades or bid/ask prices. The fair value of the Revolving Credit Facility is considered to approximate the carrying value because the Company does not believe its credit risk has changed materially from the date the applicable Eurodollar Rate was set for the Revolving Credit Facility ( 112.5 to 150.0 basis points). Refer to Note 10 for the fair values, principal balances, and carrying values of the Company’s debt instruments. For discussion of the Company’s derivatives and hedging activities, refer to Note 17.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Res

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash [Abstract]
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	3. CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH The cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash balances on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows consist of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Included on Balance Sheet (in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 201,211 $ 367,278 Cash and cash equivalents Securitization escrow accounts 69,478 64,764 Restricted cash - current asset Payment, performance bonds, and other 5,688 797 Restricted cash - current asset Surety bonds and workers compensation 3,497 2,787 Other assets - noncurrent Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 279,874 $ 435,626 Pursuant to the terms of the Tower Securities (see Note 10), the Company is required to establish a securitization escrow account, held by the indenture trustee, into which all rents and other sums due on the towers that secure the Tower Securities are directly deposited by the lessees. These restricted cash amounts are used to fund reserve accounts for the payment of (1) debt service costs, (2) ground rents, real estate and personal property taxes and insurance premiums related to towers, (3) trustee and servicing expenses, and (4) management fees. The restricted cash in the securitization escrow account in excess of required reserve balances is subsequently released to the Borrowers monthly, provided that the Borrowers are in compliance with their debt service coverage ratio and that no event of default has occurred. All monies held by the indenture trustee are classified as restricted cash on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Payment and performance bonds relate primarily to collateral requirements for tower construction currently in process by the Company. Other restricted cash includes $ 5.5 million held in escrow as of September 30, 2022, related to the Company’s acquisition activities. Cash is pledged as collateral related to surety bonds issued for the benefit of the Company or its affiliates in the ordinary course of business and primarily related to the Company’s tower removal obligations. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had $ 42.6 million and $ 42.3 million in surety and payment and performance bonds, respectively, for which no collateral was required to be posted. The Company periodically evaluates the collateral posted for its bonds to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company had pledged $ 2.3 million as collateral related to its workers’ compensation policy.

Costs and Estimated Earnings on

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts [Abstract]
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts	4. COSTS AND ESTIMATED EARNINGS ON UNCOMPLETED CONTRACTS The Company’s costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts are comprised of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts $ 119,320 $ 75,967 Estimated earnings 44,147 28,851 Billings to date ( 98,398 ) ( 61,628 ) $ 65,069 $ 43,190 These amounts are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the following captions: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts $ 81,665 $ 48,844 Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts (included in Other current liabilities) ( 16,596 ) ( 5,654 ) $ 65,069 $ 43,190 At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the eight largest customers comprised 99.8 % and 98.8 %, respectively, of the costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, net of billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Curr

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets [Abstract]
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets	5. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS AND OTHER ASSETS The Company’s prepaid expenses and other current assets are comprised of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Short-term investments $ 21,139 $ 778 Prepaid real estate taxes 4,500 3,331 Prepaid taxes 7,070 11,096 Other current assets 22,096 15,608 Total prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 54,805 $ 30,813 The Company’s other assets are comprised of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Straight-line rent receivable $ 378,836 $ 348,519 Interest rate swap asset (1) 189,150 60,324 Loans receivable 38,359 37,376 Deferred lease costs, net 7,512 6,345 Deferred tax asset - long term 30,705 51,918 Long-term investments 44,025 47,889 Other 55,615 23,273 Total other assets $ 744,202 $ 575,644 (1) Refer to Note 17 for more information on the Company’s interest rate swaps.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Acquisitions [Abstract]
Acquisitions	6. ACQUISITIONS The following table summarizes the Company’s acquisition activity: For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 (in thousands) Acquisitions of towers and related intangible assets (1)(2) $ 57,439 $ 48,255 $ 343,967 $ 217,140 Acquisition of right-of-use assets (3) — 694 2,220 948,392 Land buyouts and other assets (4)(5) 7,704 8,954 72,534 22,222 Total cash acquisition capital expenditures $ 65,143 $ 57,903 $ 418,721 $ 1,187,754 (1) During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company closed on 1,445 sites under the previously announced deal with Airtel Tanzania for $ 176.1 million. Legal title has been fully transferred for 1,234 of the towers. The remaining 211 towers are pending post-closing due diligence and continue to be accounted for as acquired and other right-of-use assets, net on the consolidated balance sheet until transfer of title for these towers is completed, which the Company anticipates to be in tranches through the end of the second quarter of 2023. Upon legal transfer, these assets will be reclassified to tower related assets. During this period of time, the Company has all the economic rights and obligations related to these towers. (2) The nine months ended September 30, 2021 includes $ 77.1 million of acquisitions completed during the fourth quarter of 2020 which were not funded until the first quarter of 2021. (3) During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company acquired the exclusive right to lease and operate utility transmission structures, which included existing wireless tenant licenses from PG&E for $ 969.9 million. The difference between the purchase price and the cash acquisition amount is due to working capital adjustments. The Company accounted for the payment with respect to these sites as a right-of-use asset, which is recorded in acquired and other right of use assets, net on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The payments associated with the right of use assets will be amortized over 70 years. (4) In addition, the Company paid $ 4.3 million and $ 4.1 million for ground lease extensions and term easements on land underlying the Company’s towers during the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and paid $ 10.6 million and $ 11.3 million for ground lease extensions and term easements on land underlying the Company’s towers during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded these amounts in prepaid rent on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. (5) The nine months ended September 30, 2022 includes amounts paid related to the acquisition of a data center in Brazil during the second quarter of 2022. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company acquired 2,148 towers and related assets and liabilities consisting of $ 117.9 million of property and equipment, net, $ 194.5 million of intangible assets, net, $ 119.7 million of operating lease right-of-use assets, net, $ 36.6 million of acquired and other right-of-use assets, net, $ 24.3 million of acquisition related holdbacks, $ 101.4 million of long-term lease liabilities, and $ 1.0 million of other net assets assumed. All acquisitions in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were accounted for as asset acquisitions except for one acquisition, purchased for $ 49.9 million in cash which was accounted for as a business combination. On October 11, 2022, the Company completed the previously announced acquisition of 2,632 sites from GTS in Brazil for $ 725.0 million in cash, net of working capital adjustments. The Company used borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and cash on hand to fund the acquisition. Additionally, subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company purchased or is under contract to purchase approximately 34 communication sites for an aggregate consideration of approximately $ 28.5 million in cash. The Company anticipates that these acquisitions will be consummated by the end of the first quarter of 2023. The maximum potential obligation related to contingent consideration for acquisitions were $ 10.5 million and $ 11.6 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. No such amounts have been recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and Equipment, Net	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Property and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Property and Equipment, Net	7. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET Property and equipment, net consists of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Towers and related assets (1) $ 5,544,056 $ 5,323,803 Construction-in-process (2) 72,470 47,565 Furniture, equipment, and vehicles 65,196 59,939 Land, buildings, and improvements 875,996 848,051 Total property and equipment 6,557,718 6,279,358 Less: accumulated depreciation ( 3,899,352 ) ( 3,703,871 ) Property and equipment, net $ 2,658,366 $ 2,575,487 (1) Includes amounts related to the Company’s data centers. (2) Construction-in-process represents costs incurred related to towers and other assets that are under development and will be used in the Company’s site leasing operations. Depreciation expense was $ 68.3 million and $ 66.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $ 205.0 million and $ 206.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, unpaid capital expenditures that are included in accounts payable and accrued expenses were $ 12.7 million and $ 7.3 million, respectively.

Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible Assets, Net	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Intangible Assets, Net	8. INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET The following table provides the gross and net carrying amounts for each major class of intangible assets: As of September 30, 2022 As of December 31, 2021 Gross carrying Accumulated Net book Gross carrying Accumulated Net book amount amortization value amount amortization value (in thousands) Current contract intangibles $ 5,035,013 $ ( 2,974,375 ) $ 2,060,638 $ 4,890,427 $ ( 2,749,594 ) $ 2,140,833 Network location intangibles 1,839,563 ( 1,198,262 ) 641,301 1,783,640 ( 1,121,226 ) 662,414 Intangible assets, net $ 6,874,576 $ ( 4,172,637 ) $ 2,701,939 $ 6,674,067 $ ( 3,870,820 ) $ 2,803,247 All intangible assets noted above are included in the Company’s site leasing segment. Amortization expense relating to the intangible assets above was $ 100.4 million and $ 100.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $ 303.0 million and $ 313.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Accrued Expenses

Accrued Expenses	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Accrued Expenses [Abstract]
Accrued Expenses	9. ACCRUED EXPENSES The Company’s accrued expenses are comprised of the following: As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Salaries and benefits $ 25,161 $ 24,962 Real estate and property taxes 10,118 8,336 Unpaid capital expenditures 12,666 7,295 Acquisition related holdbacks 25,408 957 Other 22,823 26,520 Total accrued expenses $ 96,176 $ 68,070

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Debt [Abstract]
Debt	10. DEBT The principal values, fair values, and carrying values of debt consist of the following (in thousands): As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Maturity Date Principal Balance Fair Value Carrying Value Principal Balance Fair Value Carrying Value Revolving Credit Facility Jul. 7, 2026 $ 410,000 $ 410,000 $ 410,000 $ 350,000 $ 350,000 $ 350,000 2018 Term Loan Apr. 11, 2025 2,298,000 2,231,933 2,289,183 2,316,000 2,289,945 2,304,697 2014-2C Tower Securities (1) Oct. 8, 2024 620,000 603,359 617,845 620,000 641,793 617,095 2018-1C Tower Securities (1) Mar. 9, 2023 640,000 636,070 639,181 640,000 650,163 637,812 2019-1C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 12, 2025 1,165,000 1,103,989 1,159,249 1,165,000 1,174,728 1,157,446 2020-1C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 9, 2026 750,000 685,043 745,120 750,000 746,498 744,052 2020-2C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 11, 2028 600,000 536,328 595,381 600,000 605,268 594,774 2021-1C Tower Securities (1) Nov. 9, 2026 1,165,000 1,029,872 1,155,337 1,165,000 1,144,846 1,153,700 2021-2C Tower Securities (1) Apr. 9, 2027 895,000 786,034 887,172 895,000 883,213 886,116 2021-3C Tower Securities (1) Oct. 9, 2031 895,000 753,393 886,429 895,000 902,446 885,976 2020 Senior Notes Feb. 15, 2027 1,500,000 1,337,610 1,486,293 1,500,000 1,550,790 1,484,178 2021 Senior Notes Feb. 1, 2029 1,500,000 1,217,535 1,488,059 1,500,000 1,446,975 1,486,848 Total debt $ 12,438,000 $ 11,331,166 $ 12,359,249 $ 12,396,000 $ 12,386,665 $ 12,302,694 Less: current maturities of long-term debt ( 663,181 ) ( 24,000 ) Total long-term debt, net of current maturities $ 11,696,068 $ 12,278,694 (1) The maturity date represents the anticipated repayment date for each issuance. The table below reflects cash and non-cash interest expense amounts recognized by debt instrument for the periods presented: Interest For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, Rates as of 2022 2021 2022 2021 September 30, Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash 2022 Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest (in thousands) Revolving Credit Facility 4.540 % $ 4,896 $ — $ 996 $ — $ 10,778 $ — $ 4,717 $ — 2018 Term Loan (1) 2.328 % 13,038 11,440 11,156 11,441 35,565 34,318 33,220 34,314 2013-2C Tower Securities — — — 5,396 — — — 16,188 — 2014-2C Tower Securities 3.869 % 6,046 — 6,046 — 18,138 — 18,138 — 2017-1C Tower Securities — — — — — — — 9,201 — 2018-1C Tower Securities 3.448 % 5,570 — 5,570 — 16,711 — 16,711 — 2019-1C Tower Securities 2.836 % 8,357 — 8,357 — 25,072 — 25,072 — 2020-1C Tower Securities 1.884 % 3,598 — 3,598 — 10,793 — 10,793 — 2020-2C Tower Securities 2.328 % 3,540 — 3,540 — 10,619 — 10,619 — 2021-1C Tower Securities 1.631 % 4,870 — 4,850 — 14,567 — 7,401 — 2021-2C Tower Securities 1.840 % 4,196 — — — 12,587 — — — 2021-3C Tower Securities 2.593 % 5,873 — — — 17,619 — — — 2016 Senior Notes — — — 13,406 293 — — 40,219 869 2017 Senior Notes — — — — — — — 2,333 — 2020 Senior Notes 3.875 % 14,531 88 14,531 86 43,594 264 43,594 253 2021 Senior Notes 3.125 % 11,719 — 11,719 — 35,156 — 31,510 — Other 727 — 34 — 2,329 — 123 — Total $ 86,961 $ 11,528 $ 89,199 $ 11,820 $ 253,528 $ 34,582 $ 269,839 $ 35,436 (1) The 2018 Term Loan has a blended rate of 2.328 %, which includes the impact of the interest rate swap entered into on August 4, 2020, which swapped $ 1.95 billion of notional value accruing interest at one month LIBOR plus 175 basis points for a fixed rate of 1.874 % per annum through the maturity date of the 2018 Term Loan. Excluding the impact of the interest rate swap, the 2018 Term Loan was accruing interest at 4.870 % as of September 30, 2022. Refer to Note 17 for more information on the Company’s interest rate swap. Revolving Credit Facility under the Senior Credit Agreement The key terms of the revolving credit facility are as follows: Unused Financial Covenant Interest Rate Commitment Compliance as of Fee as of Status as of September 30, 2022 (1) September 30, 2022 (2) September 30, 2022 Revolving Credit Facility 4.540 % 0.190 % In Compliance (1) The rate reflected includes a 0.050 % reduction in the applicable spread as a result of meeting certain sustainability-linked targets as of December 31, 2021. (2) The rate reflected includes a 0.010 % reduction in the applicable commitment fee as a result of meeting certain sustainability-linked targets as of December 31, 2021 The table below summarizes the Company’s revolving credit facility activity during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands): For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Beginning outstanding balance $ 530,000 $ 85,000 $ 350,000 $ 380,000 Borrowings — — 330,000 810,000 Repayments ( 120,000 ) ( 85,000 ) ( 270,000 ) ( 1,190,000 ) Ending outstanding balance $ 410,000 $ — $ 410,000 $ — Subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company borrowed $ 625.0 million and repaid $ 40.0 million under the Revolving Credit Facility, and as of the date of this filing, $ 995.0 million was outstanding. Term Loan under the Senior Credit Agreement During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company repaid an aggregate of $ 6.0 million and $ 18.0 million, respectively, of principal on the 2018 Term Loan. As of September 30, 2022, the 2018 Term Loan had a principal balance of $ 2.3 billion. Secured Tower Revenue Securities As of September 30, 2022, the entities that are borrowers on the mortgage loan (the “Borrowers”) met the debt service coverage ratio required by the mortgage loan agreement and were in compliance with all other covenants as set forth in the agreement. The sole asset of the Trust consists of a non-recourse mortgage loan made in favor of the Borrowers .

Shareholders' Equity

Shareholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Shareholders' Equity [Abstract]
Shareholders' Equity	11. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY Common Stock Equivalents The Company has outstanding stock options, time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”), and performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”) which were considered in the Company’s diluted earnings per share calculation (see Note 15). Stock Repurchases The Company’s Board of Directors authorizes the Company to purchase, from time to time, outstanding Class A common stock through open market repurchases in compliance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, and/or in privately negotiated transactions at management’s discretion based on market and business conditions, applicable legal requirements, and other factors. Once authorized, the repurchase plan has no time deadline and will continue until otherwise modified or terminated by the Company’s Board of Directors at any time in its sole discretion. Shares repurchased are retired. On October 28, 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new $ 1.0 billion stock repurchase plan, replacing the prior plan authorized on November 2, 2020, which had a remaining authorization of $ 125.1 million. As of the date of this filing, the Company had $ 504.7 million of authorization remaining under the new plan. The following is a summary of the Company’s share repurchases: For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Total number of shares purchased (in millions) (1) — 0.4 1.3 1.1 Average price paid per share (1) $ — $ 340.70 $ 332.00 $ 291.48 Total price paid (in millions) (1) $ — $ 150.0 $ 431.6 $ 318.9 (1) Amounts reflected are based on the trade date and differ from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows which reflects share repurchases based on the settlement date. Dividends For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company paid the following cash dividends: Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close Cash Paid Aggregate Amount Date Declared of Business on Per Share Paid Date Paid February 27, 2022 March 10, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.9 million March 25, 2022 April 24, 2022 May 19, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.6 million June 14, 2022 July 31, 2022 August 25, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.7 million September 20, 2022 Dividends paid in 2022 were ordinary taxable dividends. Subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company declared the following cash dividends: Payable to Shareholders Cash to of Record at the Close be Paid Date Declared of Business on Per Share Date to be Paid October 30, 2022 November 17, 2022 $ 0.71 December 15, 2022

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	12. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION Stock Options The Company records compensation expense for employee stock options based on the estimated fair value of the options on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the assumptions included in the table below. The Company uses a combination of historical data and historical volatility to establish the expected volatility, as well as to estimate the expected option life. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for the estimated life of the option. The following assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model: For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 Risk free interest rate 2.53 % Dividend yield 0.9 % Expected volatility 27 % Expected lives 4.3 years The following table summarizes the Company’s activities with respect to its stock option plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 as follows (dollars and shares in thousands, except for per share data): Weighted- Weighted-Average Average Remaining Number Exercise Price Contractual Aggregate of Shares Per Share Life (in years) Intrinsic Value Outstanding at December 31, 2021 1,899 $ 157.76 Granted 10 $ 328.99 Exercised ( 203 ) $ 142.94 Forfeited/canceled ( 3 ) $ 173.16 Outstanding at September 30, 2022 1,703 $ 160.49 2.7 $ 211,774 Exercisable at September 30, 2022 1,436 $ 155.10 2.5 $ 186,080 Unvested at September 30, 2022 267 $ 189.63 3.7 $ 25,694 The weighted-average per share fair value of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $ 82.28 . The total intrinsic value for options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $ 40.3 million. Restricted Stock Units and Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units The following table summarizes the Company’s RSU and PSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2022: RSUs PSUs (1) Weighted-Average Weighted-Average Number of Grant Date Fair Number of Grant Date Fair Shares Value per Share Shares Value per Share (in thousands) (in thousands) Outstanding at December 31, 2021 243 $ 230.20 298 $ 304.46 Granted 105 $ 329.40 140 $ 389.44 Vested ( 116 ) $ 219.41 ( 2 ) $ 330.97 Forfeited/canceled ( 8 ) $ 281.00 ( 6 ) $ 329.07 Outstanding at September 30, 2022 224 $ 280.87 430 $ 332.30 (1) PSUs represent the target number of shares granted that are issuable at the end of the three year performance period. Fair value for a portion of the PSUs was calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	13. INCOME TAXES The primary reasons for the difference between the Company’s effective tax rate and the U.S. statutory rate are the Company’s REIT election and the Company’s full valuation allowance on the net deferred tax assets of the U.S. taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”). The TRS has concluded that a full valuation allowance is appropriate for the current period. A foreign tax provision is recognized because certain foreign subsidiaries of the Company have profitable operations or are in a net deferred tax liability position. The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2016. As a REIT, the Company generally will be entitled to a deduction for dividends that it pays, and therefore, not subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on that portion of its net income that it distributes to its shareholders. As a REIT, the Company will continue to pay U.S. federal income tax on earnings, if any, from assets and operations held through its TRSs. These assets and operations currently consist primarily of the Company’s site development services and its international operations. The Company’s international operations would continue to be subject, as applicable, to foreign taxes in the jurisdictions in which those operations are located. The Company may also be subject to a variety of taxes, including payroll taxes and state, local, and foreign income, property, and other taxes on its assets and operations. The Company’s determination as to the timing and amount of future dividend distributions will be based on a number of factors, including REIT distribution requirements, its existing federal net operating losses (“NOLs”) of approximately $ 654.7 million as of December 31, 2021, the Company’s financial condition, earnings, debt covenants, and other possible uses of such funds. The Company may use these NOLs to offset its REIT taxable income, and thus any required distributions to shareholders may be reduced or eliminated until such time as the NOLs have been fully utilized .

Segment Data

Segment Data	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Segment Data [Abstract]
Segment Data	14. SEGMENT DATA The Company operates principally in two business segments: site leasing and site development. The Company’s site leasing business includes two reportable segments, domestic site leasing and international site leasing. The Company’s business segments are strategic business units that offer different services. They are managed separately based on the fundamental differences in their operations. The site leasing segment includes results of the managed and sublease businesses. The site development segment includes the results of both consulting and construction related activities. The Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker utilizes segment operating profit and operating income as his two measures of segment profit in assessing performance and allocating resources at the reportable segment level. The Company has applied the aggregation criteria to operations within the international site leasing segment on a basis that is consistent with management’s review of information and performance evaluations of the individual markets in this region. Revenues, cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation, accretion and amortization), capital expenditures (including assets acquired through the issuance of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock) and identifiable assets pertaining to the segments in which the Company continues to operate are presented below. Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing Development Other Total For the three months ended September 30, 2022 (in thousands) Revenues (1) $ 449,595 $ 137,707 $ 88,282 $ — $ 675,584 Cost of revenues (2) 66,423 45,590 65,540 — 177,553 Operating profit 383,172 92,117 22,742 — 498,031 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 26,189 14,952 5,711 18,991 65,843 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 4,318 2,526 — — 6,844 Asset impairment and decommission costs 7,835 697 — — 8,532 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 122,149 49,530 624 1,522 173,825 Operating income (loss) 222,681 24,412 16,407 ( 20,513 ) 242,987 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 140,342 ) ( 140,342 ) Income before income taxes 102,645 Cash capital expenditures (3) 48,522 73,007 1,367 933 123,829 For the three months ended September 30, 2021 Revenues (1) $ 426,758 $ 108,734 $ 53,813 $ — $ 589,305 Cost of revenues (2) 65,260 33,406 41,357 — 140,023 Operating profit 361,498 75,328 12,456 — 449,282 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 27,983 9,272 4,791 8,954 51,000 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 2,911 2,819 — — 5,730 Asset impairment and decommission costs 6,113 3,747 — — 9,860 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 123,705 45,035 565 1,611 170,916 Operating income (loss) 200,786 14,455 7,100 ( 10,565 ) 211,776 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 174,812 ) ( 174,812 ) Income before income taxes 36,964 Cash capital expenditures (3) 39,062 51,897 221 1,755 92,935 Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing Development Other Total For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (in thousands) Revenues (1) $ 1,324,666 $ 402,301 $ 220,393 $ — $ 1,947,360 Cost of revenues (2) 197,995 132,687 165,809 — 496,491 Operating profit 1,126,671 269,614 54,584 — 1,450,869 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 75,787 45,519 16,445 53,490 191,241 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 10,705 8,071 — — 18,776 Asset impairment and decommission costs 20,407 5,158 — — 25,565 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 367,853 150,008 1,831 4,849 524,541 Operating income (loss) 651,919 60,858 36,308 ( 58,339 ) 690,746 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 293,728 ) ( 293,728 ) Income before income taxes 397,018 Cash capital expenditures (3) 182,494 380,072 4,061 4,143 570,770 For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 Revenues (1) $ 1,249,291 $ 315,523 $ 148,882 $ — $ 1,713,696 Cost of revenues (2) 194,455 95,055 116,172 — 405,682 Operating profit 1,054,836 220,468 32,710 — 1,308,014 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 85,240 26,553 14,574 30,179 156,546 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 10,839 6,686 — — 17,525 Asset impairment and decommission costs 12,674 5,740 — 146 18,560 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 390,730 132,900 1,727 4,909 530,266 Operating income (loss) 555,353 48,589 16,409 ( 35,234 ) 585,117 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 380,903 ) ( 380,903 ) Income before income taxes 204,214 Cash capital expenditures (3) 1,186,791 87,572 1,812 3,751 1,279,926 Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing (1) Development Other (4) Total Assets (in thousands) As of September 30, 2022 $ 6,400,854 $ 3,055,310 $ 125,512 $ 367,338 $ 9,949,014 As of December 31, 2021 $ 6,628,156 $ 2,870,503 $ 87,410 $ 215,630 $ 9,801,699 (1) For the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, site leasing revenue in Brazil was $ 70.7 million and $ 60.7 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, site leasing revenue in Brazil was $ 209.8 million and $ 174.5 million, respectively. Other than Brazil, no foreign country represented a material amount of the Company’s total revenues in any of the periods presented. Total long-lived assets in Brazil were $ 0.9 billion as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. (2) Excludes depreciation, amortization, and accretion. (3) Includes cash paid for capital expenditures, acquisitions, and right-of-use assets. (4) Assets in Other consist primarily of general corporate assets and short-term investments.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	15. EARNINGS PER SHARE B asic earnings per share was computed by dividing net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation by the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding for each respective period. Diluted earnings per share was calculated by dividing net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation by the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding adjusted for any dilutive Class A common stock equivalents, including unvested RSUs, PSUs, and shares issuable upon exercise of stock options as determined under the “Treasury Stock” method . The following table sets forth basic and diluted net income per common share attributable to common shareholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except per share data): For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Numerator: Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation $ 100,009 $ 47,798 $ 358,150 $ 188,720 Denominator: Basic weighted-average shares outstanding 107,916 109,577 107,950 109,487 Dilutive impact of stock options, RSUs, and PSUs 1,442 1,988 1,466 1,842 Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 109,358 111,565 109,416 111,329 Net income per common share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation: Basic $ 0.93 $ 0.44 $ 3.32 $ 1.72 Diluted $ 0.91 $ 0.43 $ 3.27 $ 1.70 For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding excluded an immaterial number of shares issuable upon exercise of the Company’s stock options because the impact would be anti-dilutive.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Inter

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Abstract]
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	16. REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS The Company allocates income and losses to its redeemable noncontrolling interest holders based on the applicable membership interest percentage. At each reporting period, the redeemable noncontrolling interest is recognized at the greater of (1) the initial carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest as adjusted for accumulated income or loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest holder, or (2) the redemption value as of the balance sheet date. Adjustments to the carrying amount of redeemable noncontrolling interest are charged against retained earnings (or additional paid-in capital if there are no retained earnings ). The fair value of the redeemable noncontrolling interest is estimated using Level 3 inputs. The components of redeemable noncontrolling interests as of September 30, 2022 are as follows (in thousands): September 30, December 31, 2022 2021 Beginning balance $ 17,250 $ 15,194 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests ( 929 ) — Foreign currency translation adjustments ( 201 ) — Purchase of noncontrolling interests — ( 18,000 ) Contribution from joint venture partner — 17,250 Adjustment to redemption amount 24,495 2,806 Ending balance $ 40,615 $ 17,250

Derivatives and Hedging Activit

Derivatives and Hedging Activities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Derivatives and Hedging Activities [Abstract]
Derivatives and Hedging Activities	17. DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES The Company enters into interest rate swaps to hedge the future interest expense from variable rate debt and reduce the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. On August 4, 2020, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, SBA Senior Finance II, terminated an existing $ 1.95 billion cash flow hedge on a portion of its 2018 Term Loan in exchange for a payment of $ 176.2 million. On the same date, the Company entered into an interest rate swap for $ 1.95 billion of notional value accruing interest at one month LIBOR plus 175 basis points for a fixed rate of 1.874 % per annum through the maturity date of the 2018 Term Loan. The Company designated this interest rate swap as a cash flow hedge as it is expected to be highly effective at offsetting changes in cash flows of the LIBOR based component interest payments of its 2018 Term Loan. As of September 30, 2022, the hedge remains highly effective; therefore, changes in fair value are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the interest rate swap had a fair value of $ 189.2 million and $ 60.3 million, respectively, and is recorded in Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. On August 4, 2020, the Company also terminated its existing interest rate swaps, which were previously de-designated as cash flow hedges. There was no cash transferred in connection with the termination of these swaps. The Company reclassifies the fair value of its interest rate swaps recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net on their de-designation date to non-cash interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over their respective remaining term end dates, which range from 2023 to 2025 . Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net includes an aggregate $ 114.7 million gain and a $ 47.8 million loss as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The Company is exposed to counterparty credit risk to the extent that a counterparty fails to meet the terms of a contract. The Company’s exposure is limited to the current value of the contract at the time the counterparty fails to perform. The cash flows associated with these activities are reported in Net cash provided by operating activities on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows with the exception of the termination of interest rate swaps, which are recorded in Net cash used in financing activities . The table below outlines the effects of the Company’s derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Deficit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Cash Flow Hedge - Interest Rate Swap Agreement (in thousands) Change in fair value recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net $ 42,114 $ ( 1,324 ) $ 128,826 $ 24,586 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges - Interest Rate Swap Agreements Amount reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net into Non-cash interest expense $ 11,222 $ 11,222 $ 33,665 $ 33,665

Basis of Presentation (Policy)

Basis of Presentation (Policy)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 for SBA Communications Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, therefore, omit or condense certain footnotes and other information normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for fair financial statement presentation have been made. The results of operations for an interim period may not give a true indication of the results for the year. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts or balances to conform to the presentation adopted in the current year. The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. While the Company believes that such estimates are fair when considered in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, the actual amounts, when known, may vary from these estimates.
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign Currency Translation All assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries that do not utilize the U.S. dollar as its functional currency are translated at period-end exchange rates, while revenues and expenses are translated at monthly average exchange rates during the period. Unrealized translation gains and losses are reported as foreign currency translation adjustments through Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net in the Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Deficit. For foreign subsidiaries where the U.S. dollar is the functional currency, monetary assets and liabilities of such subsidiaries, which are not denominated in U.S. dollars, are remeasured at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, and revenues and expenses are remeasured at monthly average rates prevailing during the year. Remeasurement gains and losses are reported as Other (expense) income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Intercompany Loans Subject to Remeasurement	Intercompany Loans Subject to Remeasurement In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 830, the Company remeasures foreign denominated intercompany loans with the corresponding change in the balance being recorded in Other (expense) income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as settlement is anticipated or planned in the foreseeable future. The Company recorded a $ 25.5 million loss and a $ 45.0 million loss, net of taxes, on the remeasurement of intercompany loans for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and a $ 4.3 million gain and a $ 28.4 million loss, net of taxes, on the remeasurement of intercompany loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, due to changes in foreign exchange rates. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company funded $ 86.2 million and repaid $ 101.7 million of the intercompany loans. As of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the aggregate amount outstanding under the intercompany loan agreements subject to remeasurement with the Company’s foreign subsidiaries was $ 855.5 million and $ 872.9 million, respectively. Additionally, subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company funded $ 680.0 million to its Brazilian subsidiary through an intercompany loan to complete its previously announced acquisition with Grupo TorreSur (GTS).

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Summary of Asset Impairment and Decommission Costs	For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Asset impairment (1) $ 6,952 $ 8,323 $ 21,626 $ 13,691 Write-off of carrying value of decommissioned towers 1,275 1,130 3,599 3,718 Other (including third party decommission costs) 305 407 340 1,151 Total asset impairment and decommission costs $ 8,532 $ 9,860 $ 25,565 $ 18,560 (1) Represents impairment charges resulting from the Company’s regular analysis of whether the anticipated future discounted cash flows from certain towers are sufficient to recover the carrying value of the investment in those towers .

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and R_2

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Included on Balance Sheet (in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 201,211 $ 367,278 Cash and cash equivalents Securitization escrow accounts 69,478 64,764 Restricted cash - current asset Payment, performance bonds, and other 5,688 797 Restricted cash - current asset Surety bonds and workers compensation 3,497 2,787 Other assets - noncurrent Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ 279,874 $ 435,626

Costs and Estimated Earnings _2

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts [Abstract]
Summary of Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts $ 119,320 $ 75,967 Estimated earnings 44,147 28,851 Billings to date ( 98,398 ) ( 61,628 ) $ 65,069 $ 43,190
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts Accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts $ 81,665 $ 48,844 Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts (included in Other current liabilities) ( 16,596 ) ( 5,654 ) $ 65,069 $ 43,190

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu_2

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets [Abstract]
Schedule of Prepaid Expense and Other Current Assets	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Short-term investments $ 21,139 $ 778 Prepaid real estate taxes 4,500 3,331 Prepaid taxes 7,070 11,096 Other current assets 22,096 15,608 Total prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 54,805 $ 30,813
Schedule of Other Assets	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Straight-line rent receivable $ 378,836 $ 348,519 Interest rate swap asset (1) 189,150 60,324 Loans receivable 38,359 37,376 Deferred lease costs, net 7,512 6,345 Deferred tax asset - long term 30,705 51,918 Long-term investments 44,025 47,889 Other 55,615 23,273 Total other assets $ 744,202 $ 575,644 (1) Refer to Note 17 for more information on the Company’s interest rate swaps.

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Acquisitions [Abstract]
Schedule of Acquisition Capital Expenditures	For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 (in thousands) Acquisitions of towers and related intangible assets (1)(2) $ 57,439 $ 48,255 $ 343,967 $ 217,140 Acquisition of right-of-use assets (3) — 694 2,220 948,392 Land buyouts and other assets (4)(5) 7,704 8,954 72,534 22,222 Total cash acquisition capital expenditures $ 65,143 $ 57,903 $ 418,721 $ 1,187,754 (1) During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company closed on 1,445 sites under the previously announced deal with Airtel Tanzania for $ 176.1 million. Legal title has been fully transferred for 1,234 of the towers. The remaining 211 towers are pending post-closing due diligence and continue to be accounted for as acquired and other right-of-use assets, net on the consolidated balance sheet until transfer of title for these towers is completed, which the Company anticipates to be in tranches through the end of the second quarter of 2023. Upon legal transfer, these assets will be reclassified to tower related assets. During this period of time, the Company has all the economic rights and obligations related to these towers. (2) The nine months ended September 30, 2021 includes $ 77.1 million of acquisitions completed during the fourth quarter of 2020 which were not funded until the first quarter of 2021. (3) During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company acquired the exclusive right to lease and operate utility transmission structures, which included existing wireless tenant licenses from PG&E for $ 969.9 million. The difference between the purchase price and the cash acquisition amount is due to working capital adjustments. The Company accounted for the payment with respect to these sites as a right-of-use asset, which is recorded in acquired and other right of use assets, net on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The payments associated with the right of use assets will be amortized over 70 years. (4) In addition, the Company paid $ 4.3 million and $ 4.1 million for ground lease extensions and term easements on land underlying the Company’s towers during the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and paid $ 10.6 million and $ 11.3 million for ground lease extensions and term easements on land underlying the Company’s towers during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company recorded these amounts in prepaid rent on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. (5) The nine months ended September 30, 2022 includes amounts paid related to the acquisition of a data center in Brazil during the second quarter of 2022.

Property and Equipment, Net (Ta

Property and Equipment, Net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Property and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Property and Equipment, Net (Including Assets Held Under Capital Leases)	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Towers and related assets (1) $ 5,544,056 $ 5,323,803 Construction-in-process (2) 72,470 47,565 Furniture, equipment, and vehicles 65,196 59,939 Land, buildings, and improvements 875,996 848,051 Total property and equipment 6,557,718 6,279,358 Less: accumulated depreciation ( 3,899,352 ) ( 3,703,871 ) Property and equipment, net $ 2,658,366 $ 2,575,487 (1) Includes amounts related to the Company’s data centers. (2) Construction-in-process represents costs incurred related to towers and other assets that are under development and will be used in the Company’s site leasing operations.

Intangible Assets, Net (Tables)

Intangible Assets, Net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Gross and Net Carrying Amounts for each Major Class of Intangible Assets	As of September 30, 2022 As of December 31, 2021 Gross carrying Accumulated Net book Gross carrying Accumulated Net book amount amortization value amount amortization value (in thousands) Current contract intangibles $ 5,035,013 $ ( 2,974,375 ) $ 2,060,638 $ 4,890,427 $ ( 2,749,594 ) $ 2,140,833 Network location intangibles 1,839,563 ( 1,198,262 ) 641,301 1,783,640 ( 1,121,226 ) 662,414 Intangible assets, net $ 6,874,576 $ ( 4,172,637 ) $ 2,701,939 $ 6,674,067 $ ( 3,870,820 ) $ 2,803,247

Accrued Expenses (Tables)

Accrued Expenses (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Accrued Expenses [Abstract]
Schedule of Accrued Expenses	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 (in thousands) Salaries and benefits $ 25,161 $ 24,962 Real estate and property taxes 10,118 8,336 Unpaid capital expenditures 12,666 7,295 Acquisition related holdbacks 25,408 957 Other 22,823 26,520 Total accrued expenses $ 96,176 $ 68,070

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Debt [Abstract]
Schedule of Principal Values, Fair Values, and Carrying Values of Debt	As of As of September 30, 2022 December 31, 2021 Maturity Date Principal Balance Fair Value Carrying Value Principal Balance Fair Value Carrying Value Revolving Credit Facility Jul. 7, 2026 $ 410,000 $ 410,000 $ 410,000 $ 350,000 $ 350,000 $ 350,000 2018 Term Loan Apr. 11, 2025 2,298,000 2,231,933 2,289,183 2,316,000 2,289,945 2,304,697 2014-2C Tower Securities (1) Oct. 8, 2024 620,000 603,359 617,845 620,000 641,793 617,095 2018-1C Tower Securities (1) Mar. 9, 2023 640,000 636,070 639,181 640,000 650,163 637,812 2019-1C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 12, 2025 1,165,000 1,103,989 1,159,249 1,165,000 1,174,728 1,157,446 2020-1C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 9, 2026 750,000 685,043 745,120 750,000 746,498 744,052 2020-2C Tower Securities (1) Jan. 11, 2028 600,000 536,328 595,381 600,000 605,268 594,774 2021-1C Tower Securities (1) Nov. 9, 2026 1,165,000 1,029,872 1,155,337 1,165,000 1,144,846 1,153,700 2021-2C Tower Securities (1) Apr. 9, 2027 895,000 786,034 887,172 895,000 883,213 886,116 2021-3C Tower Securities (1) Oct. 9, 2031 895,000 753,393 886,429 895,000 902,446 885,976 2020 Senior Notes Feb. 15, 2027 1,500,000 1,337,610 1,486,293 1,500,000 1,550,790 1,484,178 2021 Senior Notes Feb. 1, 2029 1,500,000 1,217,535 1,488,059 1,500,000 1,446,975 1,486,848 Total debt $ 12,438,000 $ 11,331,166 $ 12,359,249 $ 12,396,000 $ 12,386,665 $ 12,302,694 Less: current maturities of long-term debt ( 663,181 ) ( 24,000 ) Total long-term debt, net of current maturities $ 11,696,068 $ 12,278,694 (1) The maturity date represents the anticipated repayment date for each issuance.
Schedule of Cash and Non-Cash Interest Expense	Interest For the three months ended September 30, For the nine months ended September 30, Rates as of 2022 2021 2022 2021 September 30, Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash Cash Non-cash 2022 Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest Interest (in thousands) Revolving Credit Facility 4.540 % $ 4,896 $ — $ 996 $ — $ 10,778 $ — $ 4,717 $ — 2018 Term Loan (1) 2.328 % 13,038 11,440 11,156 11,441 35,565 34,318 33,220 34,314 2013-2C Tower Securities — — — 5,396 — — — 16,188 — 2014-2C Tower Securities 3.869 % 6,046 — 6,046 — 18,138 — 18,138 — 2017-1C Tower Securities — — — — — — — 9,201 — 2018-1C Tower Securities 3.448 % 5,570 — 5,570 — 16,711 — 16,711 — 2019-1C Tower Securities 2.836 % 8,357 — 8,357 — 25,072 — 25,072 — 2020-1C Tower Securities 1.884 % 3,598 — 3,598 — 10,793 — 10,793 — 2020-2C Tower Securities 2.328 % 3,540 — 3,540 — 10,619 — 10,619 — 2021-1C Tower Securities 1.631 % 4,870 — 4,850 — 14,567 — 7,401 — 2021-2C Tower Securities 1.840 % 4,196 — — — 12,587 — — — 2021-3C Tower Securities 2.593 % 5,873 — — — 17,619 — — — 2016 Senior Notes — — — 13,406 293 — — 40,219 869 2017 Senior Notes — — — — — — — 2,333 — 2020 Senior Notes 3.875 % 14,531 88 14,531 86 43,594 264 43,594 253 2021 Senior Notes 3.125 % 11,719 — 11,719 — 35,156 — 31,510 — Other 727 — 34 — 2,329 — 123 — Total $ 86,961 $ 11,528 $ 89,199 $ 11,820 $ 253,528 $ 34,582 $ 269,839 $ 35,436 (1) The 2018 Term Loan has a blended rate of 2.328 %, which includes the impact of the interest rate swap entered into on August 4, 2020, which swapped $ 1.95 billion of notional value accruing interest at one month LIBOR plus 175 basis points for a fixed rate of 1.874 % per annum through the maturity date of the 2018 Term Loan. Excluding the impact of the interest rate swap, the 2018 Term Loan was accruing interest at 4.870 % as of September 30, 2022. Refer to Note 17 for more information on the Company’s interest rate swap.
Schedule of Revolving Credit Facility Key Terms	Unused Financial Covenant Interest Rate Commitment Compliance as of Fee as of Status as of September 30, 2022 (1) September 30, 2022 (2) September 30, 2022 Revolving Credit Facility 4.540 % 0.190 % In Compliance (1) The rate reflected includes a 0.050 % reduction in the applicable spread as a result of meeting certain sustainability-linked targets as of December 31, 2021. (2) The rate reflected includes a 0.010 % reduction in the applicable commitment fee as a result of meeting certain sustainability-linked targets as of December 31, 2021
Summary of Revolving Credit Facility Activity	For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Beginning outstanding balance $ 530,000 $ 85,000 $ 350,000 $ 380,000 Borrowings — — 330,000 810,000 Repayments ( 120,000 ) ( 85,000 ) ( 270,000 ) ( 1,190,000 ) Ending outstanding balance $ 410,000 $ — $ 410,000 $ —

Shareholders' Equity (Tables)

Shareholders' Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Shareholders' Equity [Abstract]
Summary of Share Repurchases	The following is a summary of the Company’s share repurchases: For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Total number of shares purchased (in millions) (1) — 0.4 1.3 1.1 Average price paid per share (1) $ — $ 340.70 $ 332.00 $ 291.48 Total price paid (in millions) (1) $ — $ 150.0 $ 431.6 $ 318.9 (1) Amounts reflected are based on the trade date and differ from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows which reflects share repurchases based on the settlement date.
Schedule of Dividends Paid and Dividends Declared	For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company paid the following cash dividends: Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close Cash Paid Aggregate Amount Date Declared of Business on Per Share Paid Date Paid February 27, 2022 March 10, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.9 million March 25, 2022 April 24, 2022 May 19, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.6 million June 14, 2022 July 31, 2022 August 25, 2022 $ 0.71 $ 76.7 million September 20, 2022 Dividends paid in 2022 were ordinary taxable dividends. Subsequent to September 30, 2022, the Company declared the following cash dividends: Payable to Shareholders Cash to of Record at the Close be Paid Date Declared of Business on Per Share Date to be Paid October 30, 2022 November 17, 2022 $ 0.71 December 15, 2022

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Schedule of Assumptions Used to Estimate Fair Value of Stock Options	For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 Risk free interest rate 2.53 % Dividend yield 0.9 % Expected volatility 27 % Expected lives 4.3 years
Summary of Stock Option Activity	Weighted- Weighted-Average Average Remaining Number Exercise Price Contractual Aggregate of Shares Per Share Life (in years) Intrinsic Value Outstanding at December 31, 2021 1,899 $ 157.76 Granted 10 $ 328.99 Exercised ( 203 ) $ 142.94 Forfeited/canceled ( 3 ) $ 173.16 Outstanding at September 30, 2022 1,703 $ 160.49 2.7 $ 211,774 Exercisable at September 30, 2022 1,436 $ 155.10 2.5 $ 186,080 Unvested at September 30, 2022 267 $ 189.63 3.7 $ 25,694
Summary of Restricted Stock Unit and Performance Based Restricted Stock Unit Activity	RSUs PSUs (1) Weighted-Average Weighted-Average Number of Grant Date Fair Number of Grant Date Fair Shares Value per Share Shares Value per Share (in thousands) (in thousands) Outstanding at December 31, 2021 243 $ 230.20 298 $ 304.46 Granted 105 $ 329.40 140 $ 389.44 Vested ( 116 ) $ 219.41 ( 2 ) $ 330.97 Forfeited/canceled ( 8 ) $ 281.00 ( 6 ) $ 329.07 Outstanding at September 30, 2022 224 $ 280.87 430 $ 332.30 (1) PSUs represent the target number of shares granted that are issuable at the end of the three year performance period. Fair value for a portion of the PSUs was calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model.

Segment Data (Tables)

Segment Data (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Segment Data [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information	Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing Development Other Total For the three months ended September 30, 2022 (in thousands) Revenues (1) $ 449,595 $ 137,707 $ 88,282 $ — $ 675,584 Cost of revenues (2) 66,423 45,590 65,540 — 177,553 Operating profit 383,172 92,117 22,742 — 498,031 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 26,189 14,952 5,711 18,991 65,843 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 4,318 2,526 — — 6,844 Asset impairment and decommission costs 7,835 697 — — 8,532 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 122,149 49,530 624 1,522 173,825 Operating income (loss) 222,681 24,412 16,407 ( 20,513 ) 242,987 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 140,342 ) ( 140,342 ) Income before income taxes 102,645 Cash capital expenditures (3) 48,522 73,007 1,367 933 123,829 For the three months ended September 30, 2021 Revenues (1) $ 426,758 $ 108,734 $ 53,813 $ — $ 589,305 Cost of revenues (2) 65,260 33,406 41,357 — 140,023 Operating profit 361,498 75,328 12,456 — 449,282 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 27,983 9,272 4,791 8,954 51,000 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 2,911 2,819 — — 5,730 Asset impairment and decommission costs 6,113 3,747 — — 9,860 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 123,705 45,035 565 1,611 170,916 Operating income (loss) 200,786 14,455 7,100 ( 10,565 ) 211,776 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 174,812 ) ( 174,812 ) Income before income taxes 36,964 Cash capital expenditures (3) 39,062 51,897 221 1,755 92,935 Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing Development Other Total For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 (in thousands) Revenues (1) $ 1,324,666 $ 402,301 $ 220,393 $ — $ 1,947,360 Cost of revenues (2) 197,995 132,687 165,809 — 496,491 Operating profit 1,126,671 269,614 54,584 — 1,450,869 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 75,787 45,519 16,445 53,490 191,241 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 10,705 8,071 — — 18,776 Asset impairment and decommission costs 20,407 5,158 — — 25,565 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 367,853 150,008 1,831 4,849 524,541 Operating income (loss) 651,919 60,858 36,308 ( 58,339 ) 690,746 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 293,728 ) ( 293,728 ) Income before income taxes 397,018 Cash capital expenditures (3) 182,494 380,072 4,061 4,143 570,770 For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 Revenues (1) $ 1,249,291 $ 315,523 $ 148,882 $ — $ 1,713,696 Cost of revenues (2) 194,455 95,055 116,172 — 405,682 Operating profit 1,054,836 220,468 32,710 — 1,308,014 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 85,240 26,553 14,574 30,179 156,546 Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses 10,839 6,686 — — 17,525 Asset impairment and decommission costs 12,674 5,740 — 146 18,560 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 390,730 132,900 1,727 4,909 530,266 Operating income (loss) 555,353 48,589 16,409 ( 35,234 ) 585,117 Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense) ( 380,903 ) ( 380,903 ) Income before income taxes 204,214 Cash capital expenditures (3) 1,186,791 87,572 1,812 3,751 1,279,926 Domestic Site Int'l Site Site Leasing Leasing (1) Development Other (4) Total Assets (in thousands) As of September 30, 2022 $ 6,400,854 $ 3,055,310 $ 125,512 $ 367,338 $ 9,949,014 As of December 31, 2021 $ 6,628,156 $ 2,870,503 $ 87,410 $ 215,630 $ 9,801,699 (1) For the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, site leasing revenue in Brazil was $ 70.7 million and $ 60.7 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, site leasing revenue in Brazil was $ 209.8 million and $ 174.5 million, respectively. Other than Brazil, no foreign country represented a material amount of the Company’s total revenues in any of the periods presented. Total long-lived assets in Brazil were $ 0.9 billion as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021. (2) Excludes depreciation, amortization, and accretion. (3) Includes cash paid for capital expenditures, acquisitions, and right-of-use assets. (4) Assets in Other consist primarily of general corporate assets and short-term investments.

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted-Average Shares of Common Stock Outstanding used in Calculation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Numerator: Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation $ 100,009 $ 47,798 $ 358,150 $ 188,720 Denominator: Basic weighted-average shares outstanding 107,916 109,577 107,950 109,487 Dilutive impact of stock options, RSUs, and PSUs 1,442 1,988 1,466 1,842 Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 109,358 111,565 109,416 111,329 Net income per common share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation: Basic $ 0.93 $ 0.44 $ 3.32 $ 1.72 Diluted $ 0.91 $ 0.43 $ 3.27 $ 1.70

Redeemable Noncontrolling Int_2

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Abstract]
Components of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	September 30, December 31, 2022 2021 Beginning balance $ 17,250 $ 15,194 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests ( 929 ) — Foreign currency translation adjustments ( 201 ) — Purchase of noncontrolling interests — ( 18,000 ) Contribution from joint venture partner — 17,250 Adjustment to redemption amount 24,495 2,806 Ending balance $ 40,615 $ 17,250

Derivatives and Hedging Activ_2

Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Derivatives and Hedging Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of Effect of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Operations	For the three months For the nine months ended September 30, ended September 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Cash Flow Hedge - Interest Rate Swap Agreement (in thousands) Change in fair value recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net $ 42,114 $ ( 1,324 ) $ 128,826 $ 24,586 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges - Interest Rate Swap Agreements Amount reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net into Non-cash interest expense $ 11,222 $ 11,222 $ 33,665 $ 33,665

Basis of Presentation (Narrativ

Basis of Presentation (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Nov. 03, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Loss on remeasurement of U.S. dollar denominated intercompany loan	$ (25.5)	$ (45)	$ (4.3)	$ (28.4)
Intercompany loans funded	86.2		86.2
Repayment of debt			101.7
Intercompany foreign currency outstanding balance	$ 855.5		$ 855.5			$ 872.9
Subsequent Event [Member]
Basis of Presentation [Line Items]
Intercompany loans funded					$ 680

Fair Value Measurements (Narrat

Fair Value Measurements (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-term investments	$ 44,025		$ 47,889
Short-term investments	21,139		$ 778
Purchase of short-term investments	501,600	$ 755,400
Proceeds from sale of short-term investments	$ 481,600	$ 755,300
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.125%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate	1.50%

Fair Value Measurements (Summar

Fair Value Measurements (Summary of Asset Impairment and Decommission Costs) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Asset impairment	$ 6,952	$ 8,323	$ 21,626	$ 13,691
Write-off of carrying value of decommissioned towers	1,275	1,130	3,599	3,718
Other (including third party decommission costs)	305	407	340	1,151
Total asset impairment and decommission costs	$ 8,532	$ 9,860	$ 25,565	$ 18,560

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and R_3

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Surety, payment and performance bonds	$ 42,600,000	$ 42,300,000
Collateral payment for performance bonds	0	0
Workers Compensation Policy [Member]
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Collateral	2,300,000	$ 2,300,000
Payment and Performance Bonds [Member]
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Collateral	$ 5,500,000

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and R_4

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 201,211	$ 367,278
Restricted cash - current asset	75,166	65,561
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	279,874	435,626	$ 254,399	$ 342,808
Securitization Escrow Accounts [Member] | Restricted Cash - Current Asset [Member]
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash - current asset	69,478	64,764
Payment, Performance Bonds and Other [Member] | Restricted Cash - Current Asset [Member]
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash - current asset	5,688	797
Surety Bonds and Workers Compensation [Member] | Other Assets - Noncurrent [Member]
Restricted Cash And Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Restricted cash - noncurrent asset	$ 3,497	$ 2,787

Costs and Estimated Earnings _3

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (Narrative) (Details) - Customer Concentration Risk [Member] - Contract with Customer [Member] - customer	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Number of significant customers	8	8
Eight Largest Customers [Member]
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage	99.80%	98.80%

Costs and Estimated Earnings _4

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (Summary of Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts [Abstract]
Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts	$ 119,320	$ 75,967
Estimated earnings	44,147	28,851
Billings to date	(98,398)	(61,628)
Costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	$ 65,069	$ 43,190

Costs and Estimated Earnings _5

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts (Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts Accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Contracts [Abstract]
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts	$ 81,665	$ 48,844
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts (included in Other current liabilities)	(16,596)	(5,654)
Costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	$ 65,069	$ 43,190

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu_3

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets (Schedule of Prepaid Expense and Other Current Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets [Abstract]
Short-term investments	$ 21,139	$ 778
Prepaid real estate taxes	4,500	3,331
Prepaid taxes	7,070	11,096
Other current assets	22,096	15,608
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets	$ 54,805	$ 30,813

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu_4

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets (Schedule of Other Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets and Other Assets [Abstract]
Straight-line rent receivable	$ 378,836	$ 348,519
Interest rate swap asset	189,150	60,324
Loans receivable	38,359	37,376
Deferred lease costs, net	7,512	6,345
Deferred tax asset - long term	30,705	51,918
Long-term investments	44,025	47,889
Other	55,615	23,273
Total other assets	$ 744,202	$ 575,644

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Detai

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 11, 2022 USD ($) site	Nov. 03, 2022 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Performance targets, maximum potential obligation			$ 10.5		$ 11.6
Exclusive Right to Lease and Operate Utility Transmission Structures [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred				$ 969.9
Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of towers acquired | item			2,148
Property and equipment			$ 117.9
Intangible assets			194.5
Operating leases right-of-use assets, net			119.7
Acquired and other right-of-use assets, net			36.6
Acquisition related holdbacks			24.3
Long-term lease liabilities assumed			101.4
Other net assets assumed			1
Airtel Tanzania [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred			$ 176.1
Airtel Tanzania [Member] | Legal Title Fully Transferred [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of communication sites acquired | item			1,234
Business Combination [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash paid for acquisition			$ 49.9
Number of businesses acquired | item			1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Other Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash paid for acquisition		$ 28.5
Number of communication sites acquired | item		34
Subsequent Event [Member] | Grupo TorreSur [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash paid for acquisition	$ 725
Number of communication sites acquired | site	2,632

Acquisitions (Schedule of Acqui

Acquisitions (Schedule of Acquisition Capital Expenditures) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) site item	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisitions of towers and related intangible assets	$ 57,439	$ 48,255	$ 343,967	$ 217,140
Acquisition of right-of-use assets		694	2,220	948,392
Land buyouts and other assets	7,704	8,954	72,534	22,222
Total cash acquisition capital expenditures	65,143	57,903	418,721	1,187,754
Ground lease extensions	$ 4,300	$ 4,100	$ 10,600	11,300
Airtel Tanzania [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of utility transmission structures acquired | site			1,445
Consideration transferred			$ 176,100
Exclusive Right to Lease and Operate Utility Transmission Structures [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred				$ 969,900
Finance lease term		70 years		70 years
Forth Quarter 2020 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred				$ 77,100
Legal Title Fully Transferred [Member] | Airtel Tanzania [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of communication sites acquired | item			1,234
Pending Post-Closing Site Level Documentation and Due Diligence [Member] | Airtel Tanzania [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number Of Legal Titles Pending | site			211

Property and Equipment, Net (Na

Property and Equipment, Net (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021
Property and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	$ 68,300	$ 66,200	$ 205,000	$ 206,000
Unpaid capital expenditures	$ 12,666		$ 12,666		$ 7,295

Property and Equipment, Net (Pr

Property and Equipment, Net (Property and Equipment, Net (Including Assets Held Under Capital Leases)) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	$ 6,557,718	$ 6,279,358
Less: accumulated depreciation	(3,899,352)	(3,703,871)
Property and equipment, net	2,658,366	2,575,487
Towers and Related Assets [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	5,544,056	5,323,803
Construction-In-Process [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	72,470	47,565
Furniture, Equipment and Vehicles [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	65,196	59,939
Land, Buildings and Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total property and equipment	$ 875,996	$ 848,051

Intangible Assets, Net (Narrati

Intangible Assets, Net (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Amortization expense	$ 100.4	$ 100.3	$ 303	$ 313.2

Intangible Assets, Net (Gross a

Intangible Assets, Net (Gross and Net Carrying Amounts for each Major Class of Intangible Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	$ 6,874,576	$ 6,674,067
Accumulated amortization	(4,172,637)	(3,870,820)
Net book value	2,701,939	2,803,247
Current Contract Intangibles [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	5,035,013	4,890,427
Accumulated amortization	(2,974,375)	(2,749,594)
Net book value	2,060,638	2,140,833
Network Location Intangibles [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying amount	1,839,563	1,783,640
Accumulated amortization	(1,198,262)	(1,121,226)
Net book value	$ 641,301	$ 662,414

Accrued Expenses (Schedule of A

Accrued Expenses (Schedule of Accrued Expenses) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Accrued Expenses [Abstract]
Salaries and benefits	$ 25,161	$ 24,962
Real estate and property taxes	10,118	8,336
Unpaid capital expenditures	12,666	7,295
Acquisition related holdbacks	25,408	957
Other	22,823	26,520
Total accrued expenses	$ 96,176	$ 68,070

Debt (Revolving Credit Facility

Debt (Revolving Credit Facility under the Senior Credit Agreement) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Repayments of revolving credit facility				$ 270,000	$ 1,190,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowings on the revolving credit facility				330,000	810,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility		$ 120,000	$ 85,000	270,000	$ 1,190,000
Line of credit facility, outstanding		$ 410,000		$ 410,000		$ 530,000	$ 350,000	$ 85,000	$ 380,000
Revolving credit facility, effective interest rate		4.54%		4.54%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowings on the revolving credit facility	$ 625,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility	40,000
Line of credit facility, outstanding	$ 995,000
Minimum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate				1.125%
Maximum [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable interest rate				1.50%

Debt (Term Loan under the Senio

Debt (Term Loan under the Senior Credit Agreement) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 12,438,000,000	$ 12,438,000,000	$ 12,396,000,000
2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	2,298,000,000	2,298,000,000	$ 2,316,000,000
Repayment of term loans	$ 6,000,000	$ 18,000,000

Debt (Secured Tower Revenue Sec

Debt (Secured Tower Revenue Securities) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 12,438,000,000	$ 12,396,000,000
2014-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 620,000,000	620,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date	Oct. 08, 2024
2018-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 640,000,000	640,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.448%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Mar. 09, 2023
2019-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 1,165,000,000	1,165,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	2.836%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 12, 2025
2020-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 750,000,000	750,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	1.884%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 09, 2026
2020-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 600,000,000	600,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	2.328%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 11, 2028
2021-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 1,165,000,000	1,165,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	1.631%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Nov. 09, 2026
2021-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 895,000,000	895,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	1.84%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Apr. 09, 2027
2021-3C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 895,000,000	$ 895,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	2.593%
Debt instrument, maturity date	Oct. 09, 2031

Debt (Senior Notes) (Narrative)

Debt (Senior Notes) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 12,438,000,000	$ 12,396,000,000
2020 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date	Feb. 15, 2027
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.875%
2021 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, principal amount	$ 1,500,000,000	$ 1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, maturity date	Feb. 01, 2029
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.125%

Debt (Schedule of Principal Val

Debt (Schedule of Principal Values, Fair Values, and Carrying Values of Debt) (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Balance	$ 12,438,000,000	$ 12,396,000,000
Fair Value	11,331,166,000	12,386,665,000
Carrying Value	12,359,249,000	12,302,694,000
Less: current maturities of long-term debt	(663,181,000)	(24,000,000)
Total long-term debt, net of current maturities	$ 11,696,068,000	12,278,694,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jul. 07, 2026
Principal Balance	$ 410,000,000	350,000,000
Fair Value	410,000,000	350,000,000
Carrying Value	$ 410,000,000	350,000,000
2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Apr. 11, 2025
Principal Balance	$ 2,298,000,000	2,316,000,000
Fair Value	2,231,933,000	2,289,945,000
Carrying Value	$ 2,289,183,000	2,304,697,000
2014-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Oct. 08, 2024
Principal Balance	$ 620,000,000	620,000,000
Fair Value	603,359,000	641,793,000
Carrying Value	$ 617,845,000	617,095,000
2018-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Mar. 09, 2023
Principal Balance	$ 640,000,000	640,000,000
Fair Value	636,070,000	650,163,000
Carrying Value	$ 639,181,000	637,812,000
2019-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 12, 2025
Principal Balance	$ 1,165,000,000	1,165,000,000
Fair Value	1,103,989,000	1,174,728,000
Carrying Value	$ 1,159,249,000	1,157,446,000
2020-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 09, 2026
Principal Balance	$ 750,000,000	750,000,000
Fair Value	685,043,000	746,498,000
Carrying Value	$ 745,120,000	744,052,000
2020-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Jan. 11, 2028
Principal Balance	$ 600,000,000	600,000,000
Fair Value	536,328,000	605,268,000
Carrying Value	$ 595,381,000	594,774,000
2021-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Nov. 09, 2026
Principal Balance	$ 1,165,000,000	1,165,000,000
Fair Value	1,029,872,000	1,144,846,000
Carrying Value	$ 1,155,337,000	1,153,700,000
2021-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Apr. 09, 2027
Principal Balance	$ 895,000,000	895,000,000
Fair Value	786,034,000	883,213,000
Carrying Value	$ 887,172,000	886,116,000
2021-3C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Oct. 09, 2031
Principal Balance	$ 895,000,000	895,000,000
Fair Value	753,393,000	902,446,000
Carrying Value	$ 886,429,000	885,976,000
2020 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Feb. 15, 2027
Principal Balance	$ 1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
Fair Value	1,337,610,000	1,550,790,000
Carrying Value	$ 1,486,293,000	1,484,178,000
2021 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, maturity date	Feb. 01, 2029
Principal Balance	$ 1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
Fair Value	1,217,535,000	1,446,975,000
Carrying Value	$ 1,488,059,000	$ 1,486,848,000

Debt (Schedule of Cash and Non-

Debt (Schedule of Cash and Non-Cash Interest Expense) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest	$ 86,961	$ 89,199	$ 253,528	$ 269,839
Non-cash Interest	$ 11,528	11,820	$ 34,582	35,436
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	4.54%		4.54%
Cash Interest	$ 4,896	996	$ 10,778	4,717
2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	2.328%		2.328%
Cash Interest	$ 13,038	11,156	$ 35,565	33,220
Non-cash Interest	$ 11,440	11,441	$ 34,318	34,314
Blended rate			2.328%
Accruing interest rate	4.87%		4.87%
2013 Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest		5,396		16,188
2014 Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	3.869%		3.869%
Cash Interest	$ 6,046	6,046	$ 18,138	18,138
2017-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest				9,201
2018-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	3.448%		3.448%
Cash Interest	$ 5,570	5,570	$ 16,711	16,711
2019-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	2.836%		2.836%
Cash Interest	$ 8,357	8,357	$ 25,072	25,072
2020-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	1.884%		1.884%
Cash Interest	$ 3,598	3,598	$ 10,793	10,793
2020-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	2.328%		2.328%
Cash Interest	$ 3,540	3,540	$ 10,619	10,619
2021-1C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	1.631%		1.631%
Cash Interest	$ 4,870	4,850	$ 14,567	7,401
2021-2C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	1.84%		1.84%
Cash Interest	$ 4,196		$ 12,587
2021-3C Tower Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	2.593%		2.593%
Cash Interest	$ 5,873		$ 17,619
2016 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest		13,406		40,219
Non-cash Interest		293		869
2017 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest				2,333
2020 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	3.875%		3.875%
Cash Interest	$ 14,531	14,531	$ 43,594	43,594
Non-cash Interest	$ 88	86	$ 264	253
2021 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rates as of March 31, 2022	3.125%		3.125%
Cash Interest	$ 11,719	11,719	$ 35,156	31,510
Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash Interest	727	$ 34	2,329	$ 123
Interest Rate Swap [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 1,950,000		$ 1,950,000
Derivative fixed interest rate	1.874%		1.874%
Interest Rate Swap [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative basis spread on variable interest rate	1.75%		1.75%

Debt (Schedule of Revolving Cre

Debt (Schedule of Revolving Credit Facility Key Terms) (Details)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sustainability Margin Adjustment		0.05%
Sustainability Commitment Fee Adjustment		0.01%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.54%
Unused Commitment Fee	0.19%
Financial Covenant Compliance Status	In Compliance

Debt (Summary of Revolving Cred

Debt (Summary of Revolving Credit Facility Activity) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Repayments under Revolving Credit Facility			$ (270,000)	$ (1,190,000)
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Beginning outstanding balance	$ 530,000	$ 85,000	350,000	380,000
Borrowings			330,000	810,000
Repayments under Revolving Credit Facility	(120,000)	$ (85,000)	(270,000)	$ (1,190,000)
Ending outstanding balance	$ 410,000		$ 410,000

Shareholders' Equity (Narrative

Shareholders' Equity (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Nov. 03, 2022	Oct. 28, 2021	Nov. 02, 2020
Subsequent Event [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorization	$ 504.7
New Plan [Member] | Class A Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized		$ 1,000
Prior Plan [Member] | Class A Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorization			$ 125.1

Shareholders' Equity (Summary o

Shareholders' Equity (Summary of Share Repurchases) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Shareholders' Equity [Abstract]
Total number of shares purchased (in millions)	0.4	1.3	1.1
Average price paid per share	$ 340.70	$ 332	$ 291.48
Total price paid (in millions)	$ 150	$ 431.6	$ 318.9

Shareholders' Equity (Schedule

Shareholders' Equity (Schedule of Dividends Paid and Dividends Declared) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022
February 27,2022 [Member]
Date Declared		Feb. 27, 2022
Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close of Business on		Mar. 10, 2022
Cash Paid Per Share		$ 0.71
Aggregate Amount Paid		$ 76.9
Date Paid/Date to be Paid		Mar. 25, 2022
April 24, 2022 [Member]
Date Declared		Apr. 24, 2022
Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close of Business on		May 19, 2022
Cash Paid Per Share		$ 0.71
Aggregate Amount Paid		$ 76.6
Date Paid/Date to be Paid		Jun. 14, 2022
July 31, 2022 [Member]
Date Declared		Jul. 31, 2022
Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close of Business on		Aug. 25, 2022
Cash Paid Per Share		$ 0.71
Aggregate Amount Paid		$ 76.7
Date Paid/Date to be Paid		Sep. 20, 2022
Subsequent Event [Member] | July 31, 2022 [Member]
Date Declared	Oct. 30, 2022
Payable to Shareholders of Record at the Close of Business on	Nov. 17, 2022
Cash to be Paid Per Share	$ 0.71
Date Paid/Date to be Paid	Dec. 15, 2022

Stock-Based Compensation (Narra

Stock-Based Compensation (Narrative) (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Grants in period | shares	10
Weighted-average fair value of options granted | $ / shares	$ 82.28
Total intrinsic value for options exercised | $	$ 40.3

Stock-Based Compensation (Sched

Stock-Based Compensation (Schedule of Assumptions used to Estimate Fair Value of Stock Options) (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Risk free interest rate	2.53%
Dividend yield	0.90%
Expected volatility	27%
Expected lives	4 years 3 months 18 days

Stock-Based Compensation (Summa

Stock-Based Compensation (Summary of Stock Option Activity) (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	1,899
Number of Shares, Granted | shares	10
Number of Shares, Exercised | shares	(203)
Number of Shares, Forfeited/canceled | shares	(3)
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	1,703
Number of Shares, Exercisable | shares	1,436
Number of Shares, Unvested | shares	267
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	$ 157.76
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Granted | $ / shares	328.99
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Exercised | $ / shares	142.94
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Forfeited/canceled | $ / shares	173.16
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	160.49
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Exercisable | $ / shares	155.10
Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share, Unvested | $ / shares	$ 189.63
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years), Outstanding	2 years 8 months 12 days
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years), Exercisable	2 years 6 months
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years), Unvested	3 years 8 months 12 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding | $	$ 211,774
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable | $	186,080
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Unvested | $	$ 25,694

Stock-Based Compensation (Sum_2

Stock-Based Compensation (Summary of Restricted Stock Unit and Performance Based Restricted Stock Unit Activity) (Details) shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022 $ / shares shares
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	243
Number of Shares, Granted | shares	105
Number of Shares, Vested | shares	(116)
Number of Shares, Forfeited/canceled | shares	(8)
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	224
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	$ 230.20
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Granted | $ / shares	329.40
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Vested | $ / shares	219.41
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Forfeited/canceled | $ / shares	281
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	$ 280.87
Performance Stock Units (PSUs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	298
Number of Shares, Granted | shares	140
Number of Shares, Vested | shares	(2)
Number of Shares, Forfeited/canceled | shares	(6)
Number of Shares, Outstanding | shares	430
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	$ 304.46
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Granted | $ / shares	389.44
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Vested | $ / shares	330.97
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Forfeited/canceled | $ / shares	329.07
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Outstanding | $ / shares	$ 332.30
Performance period	3 years

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Detai

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Federal net operating loss carry-forward	$ 654.7

Segment Data (Narrative) (Detai

Segment Data (Narrative) (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022 segment
Segment Data [Abstract]
Number of business segments	2
Number of reportable segments	2

Segment Data (Schedule of Segme

Segment Data (Schedule of Segment Reporting Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 675,584	$ 589,305	$ 1,947,360	$ 1,713,696
Cost of revenues		177,553	140,023	496,491	405,682
Operating profit		498,031	449,282	1,450,869	1,308,014
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	[1]	65,843	51,000	191,241	156,546
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		6,844	5,730	18,776	17,525
Asset impairment and decommission costs		8,532	9,860	25,565	18,560
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		173,825	170,916	524,541	530,266
Operating income		242,987	211,776	690,746	585,117
Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense)		(140,342)	(174,812)	(293,728)	(380,903)
Income before income taxes		102,645	36,964	397,018	204,214
Cash capital expenditures		123,829	92,935	570,770	1,279,926
Assets		9,949,014		9,949,014		$ 9,801,699
Domestic Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		449,595	426,758	1,324,666	1,249,291
Cost of revenues		66,423	65,260	197,995	194,455
Operating profit		383,172	361,498	1,126,671	1,054,836
Selling, general, and administrative expenses		26,189	27,983	75,787	85,240
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		4,318	2,911	10,705	10,839
Asset impairment and decommission costs		7,835	6,113	20,407	12,674
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		122,149	123,705	367,853	390,730
Operating income		222,681	200,786	651,919	555,353
Cash capital expenditures		48,522	39,062	182,494	1,186,791
Assets		6,400,854		6,400,854		6,628,156
International Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		137,707	108,734	402,301	315,523
Cost of revenues		45,590	33,406	132,687	95,055
Operating profit		92,117	75,328	269,614	220,468
Selling, general, and administrative expenses		14,952	9,272	45,519	26,553
Acquisition and new business initiatives related adjustments and expenses		2,526	2,819	8,071	6,686
Asset impairment and decommission costs		697	3,747	5,158	5,740
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		49,530	45,035	150,008	132,900
Operating income		24,412	14,455	60,858	48,589
Cash capital expenditures		73,007	51,897	380,072	87,572
Assets		3,055,310		3,055,310		2,870,503
Site Development [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		88,282	53,813	220,393	148,882
Cost of revenues		65,540	41,357	165,809	116,172
Operating profit		22,742	12,456	54,584	32,710
Selling, general, and administrative expenses		5,711	4,791	16,445	14,574
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		624	565	1,831	1,727
Operating income		16,407	7,100	36,308	16,409
Cash capital expenditures		1,367	221	4,061	1,812
Assets		125,512		125,512		87,410
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Selling, general, and administrative expenses		18,991	8,954	53,490	30,179
Asset impairment and decommission costs					146
Depreciation, amortization and accretion		1,522	1,611	4,849	4,909
Operating income		(20,513)	(10,565)	(58,339)	(35,234)
Other expense (principally interest expense and other expense)		(140,342)	(174,812)	(293,728)	(380,903)
Cash capital expenditures		933	1,755	4,143	3,751
Assets		367,338		367,338		$ 215,630
Brazil [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets		900,000		900,000
Brazil [Member] | International Site Leasing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 70,700	$ 60,700	$ 209,800	$ 174,500
[1] Includes non-cash compensation of $ 24,945 and $ 16,589 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $ 72,309 and $ 57,249 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Earnings Per Share (Weighted-Av

Earnings Per Share (Weighted-Average Shares of Common Stock Outstanding used in Calculation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income attributable to SBA Communications Corporation	$ 100,009	$ 47,798	$ 358,150	$ 188,720
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	107,916	109,577	107,950	109,487
Dilutive impact of stock options, RSUs, and PSUs	1,442	1,988	1,466	1,842
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	109,358	111,565	109,416	111,329
Net income per common share attributable to SBA Communications Corporation:
Basic	$ 0.93	$ 0.44	$ 3.32	$ 1.72
Diluted	$ 0.91	$ 0.43	$ 3.27	$ 1.70

Redeemable Noncontrolling Int_3

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Abstract]
Redemption amount	$ 40,615	$ 17,250	$ 15,194

Redeemable Noncontrolling Int_4

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests (Components of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Abstract]
Beginning balance		$ 17,250	$ 15,194
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	$ (247)	(929)
Foreign currency translation adjustments		(201)
Purchase of noncontrolling interests			(18,000)
Contribution from joint venture partner			17,250
Adjustment to redemption amount		24,495	2,806
Ending balance	$ 40,615	$ 40,615	$ 17,250

Derivatives and Hedging Activ_3

Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 04, 2020	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Accumulated derivative losses		$ 114,700,000	$ 47,800,000
Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Remaining maturity year		2023
Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Remaining maturity year		2025
2018 Term Loan [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount		$ 1,950,000,000
Derivative fixed interest rate		1.874%
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Cash transfer in connection with termination of swaps	$ 0
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount	1,950,000,000
Payment to terminate	176,200,000
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 1,950,000,000
Derivative fixed interest rate	1.874%
Derivative asset, fair value		$ 189,200,000	$ 60,300,000
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative basis spread on variable interest rate		1.75%
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | Cash Flow Hedges [Member] | 2018 Term Loan [Member] | Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative basis spread on variable interest rate	1.75%

Derivatives and Hedging Activ_4

Derivatives and Hedging Activities (Schedule of Effect of Derivatives on the Consolidated Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Interest Rate Swap [Member] | Accumulated Gain (Loss), Cash Flow Hedge, Including Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge	$ 42,114	$ (1,324)	$ 128,826	$ 24,586
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges - Interest Rate Swap Agreements [Member] | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivative Qualifying as Hedge, Excluded Component, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Member] | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount recognized/reclassified in Non-cash interest expense	$ 11,222	$ 11,222	$ 33,665	$ 33,665