Intangible Assets - Rollforward of goodwill - (Details) - USD ($) |
3 Months Ended | 4 Months Ended | 5 Months Ended | 7 Months Ended | 8 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug. 27, 2020 |
Apr. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 11, 2021 |
Jan. 31, 2021 |
Aug. 27, 2020 |
Jan. 31, 2022 |
Jan. 31, 2022 |
Jan. 31, 2021 |
Jan. 31, 2020 |
|
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | $ 1,253,822,000 | $ 495,004,000 | $ 495,135,000 | $ 1,253,822,000 | $ 494,869,000 | $ 495,004,000 | $ 1,253,822,000 | $ 1,694,313,000 | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | (135,000) | (131,000) | (162,000) | (780,000) | 107,000 | ||||
| Impairment of goodwill | (177,886,000) | (440,598,000) | |||||||
| Acquisition | 851,145,000 | ||||||||
| Measurement period adjustments | 3,295,000 | ||||||||
| Canada deconsolidation | (5,100,000) | ||||||||
| Impact of Fresh-Start Reporting | $ (575,539,000) | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 495,135,000 | $ 494,869,000 | $ 495,004,000 | $ 495,135,000 | $ 871,504,000 | $ 871,504,000 | $ 495,004,000 | $ 1,253,822,000 | |
| Financial Designation, Predecessor and Successor [Fixed List] | Predecessor | Predecessor | Predecessor | Predecessor | Successor | Successor | Predecessor | Predecessor | |
| Predecessor | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | $ 1,070,674,000 | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 1,070,674,000 | $ 1,070,674,000 | |||||||
| Skillsoft reporting unit | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | $ 1,112,820,000 | $ 491,654,000 | 491,785,000 | 1,112,820,000 | $ 491,519,000 | $ 491,654,000 | $ 1,112,820,000 | $ 1,434,047,000 | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | (135,000) | (131,000) | (158,000) | (47,000) | 113,000 | ||||
| Impairment of goodwill | (107,900,000) | (107,934,000) | (321,340,000) | ||||||
| Acquisition | 659,667,000 | ||||||||
| Measurement period adjustments | 3,036,000 | ||||||||
| Canada deconsolidation | (5,100,000) | ||||||||
| Impact of Fresh-Start Reporting | (507,843,000) | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 491,785,000 | 491,519,000 | 491,654,000 | 491,785,000 | 680,500,000 | 680,500,000 | 491,654,000 | 1,112,820,000 | |
| Accumulated impairment losses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Skillsoft reporting unit | Predecessor | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | 999,628,000 | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 999,628,000 | 999,628,000 | |||||||
| SumTotal reporting unit | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | 141,002,000 | 3,350,000 | 3,350,000 | 141,002,000 | 3,350,000 | 3,350,000 | 141,002,000 | 260,266,000 | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | (4,000) | (110,000) | (6,000) | ||||||
| Impairment of goodwill | $ (70,000,000.0) | (69,952,000) | (119,258,000) | ||||||
| Acquisition | 75,065,000 | ||||||||
| Measurement period adjustments | 738,000 | ||||||||
| Impact of Fresh-Start Reporting | (67,696,000) | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 3,350,000 | $ 3,350,000 | 3,350,000 | 3,350,000 | 75,700,000 | 75,700,000 | 3,350,000 | $ 141,002,000 | |
| Accumulated impairment losses | 0 | 0 | 0 | $ 0 | |||||
| SumTotal reporting unit | Predecessor | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Goodwill, Beginning balance | $ 71,046,000 | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | $ 71,046,000 | $ 71,046,000 | |||||||
| Virtual, on-demand and classroom | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | (623,000) | ||||||||
| Acquisition | 116,413,000 | ||||||||
| Measurement period adjustments | (479,000) | ||||||||
| Goodwill, Ending balance | 105,200,000 | 105,200,000 | |||||||
| Accumulated impairment losses | 0 | $ 0 | |||||||
| Pluma | |||||||||
| Goodwill [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Acquisition | 14,892,000 | ||||||||
| Measurement period adjustments | $ 2,952,000 | ||||||||