SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment data
Goodwill			$ 4,716.0				$ 2,124.0				$ 4,716.0	$ 2,124.0	$ 2,124.0
Assets	[1]		17,370.0				6,572.0				17,370.0	6,572.0
Capital expenditures											156.0	105.0	84.0
Revenue			1,622.0	$ 1,125.0	$ 771.0	$ 722.0	894.0	$ 766.0	$ 730.0	$ 665.0	4,240.0	3,055.0	2,636.0
Depreciation of property and equipment											424.0	280.0	276.0
Amortization of sports programming rights											637.0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											90.0	101.0	116.0
Corporate general and administrative overhead expenses											387.0	111.0	113.0
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(92.0)	(40.0)	(279.0)
Operating income			277.0	$ (6.0)	$ 106.0	$ 93.0	263.0	$ 158.0	$ 132.0	$ 107.0	470.0	660.0	737.0
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs											422.0	292.0	212.0
Loss from equity method investments											(35.0)	(61.0)	(14.0)
Local News and Marketing Services
Segment data
Goodwill			2,026.0				2,055.0				2,026.0	2,055.0	2,053.0
Revenue											2,655.0	2,715.0	2,394.0
Sports
Segment data
Goodwill			2,615.0				0.0				2,615.0	0.0	0.0
Revenue											1,139.0	0.0	0.0
Other
Segment data
Goodwill			75.0				69.0				75.0	69.0	71.0
Revenue											446.0	340.0	242.0
Operating segments | Local News and Marketing Services
Segment data
Goodwill			2,026.0				2,055.0				2,026.0	2,055.0
Assets			4,866.0				4,797.0				4,866.0	4,797.0
Capital expenditures											139.0	95.0
Revenue											2,655.0	2,715.0	2,394.0
Depreciation of property and equipment											245.0	251.0	244.0
Amortization of sports programming rights											0.0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											90.0	101.0	116.0
Corporate general and administrative overhead expenses											144.0	100.0	101.0
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(62.0)	(100.0)	(226.0)
Operating income											513.0	752.0	724.0
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs											5.0	6.0	5.0
Loss from equity method investments											0.0	0.0
Operating segments | Sports
Segment data
Goodwill			2,615.0				0.0				2,615.0	0.0
Assets			11,237.0				0.0				11,237.0	0.0
Capital expenditures											9.0	0.0
Revenue											1,139.0	0.0	0.0
Depreciation of property and equipment											157.0	0.0	0.0
Amortization of sports programming rights											637.0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											0.0	0.0	0.0
Corporate general and administrative overhead expenses											93.0	0.0	0.0
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											0.0	0.0	0.0
Operating income											65.0	0.0	0.0
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs											200.0	0.0	0.0
Loss from equity method investments											18.0	0.0	0.0
Operating segments | Other
Segment data
Goodwill			75.0				69.0				75.0	69.0
Assets			693.0				721.0				693.0	721.0
Capital expenditures											4.0	5.0
Revenue											446.0	340.0	242.0
Depreciation of property and equipment											22.0	29.0	31.0
Amortization of sports programming rights											0.0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											0.0	0.0	0.0
Corporate general and administrative overhead expenses											1.0	1.0	1.0
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(4.0)	60.0	(53.0)
Operating income											15.0	(82.0)	25.0
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs											1.0	1.0	2.0
Loss from equity method investments											(53.0)	(61.0)	(14.0)
Corporate
Segment data
Goodwill			0.0				0.0				0.0	0.0
Assets			$ 574.0				$ 1,054.0				574.0	1,054.0
Capital expenditures											4.0	5.0
Revenue											0.0	0.0	0.0
Depreciation of property and equipment											0.0	0.0	1.0
Amortization of sports programming rights											0.0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											0.0	0.0	0.0
Corporate general and administrative overhead expenses											149.0	10.0	11.0
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(26.0)	0.0	0.0
Operating income											(123.0)	(10.0)	(12.0)
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs											216.0	285.0	205.0
Loss from equity method investments											0.0	0.0	0.0
Spectrum Auction
Segment data
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment												(83.0)	$ (225.0)
Spectrum repack, reimbursements											$ 62.0
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Alarm Funding Associates
Segment data
Gain recognized on sale of broadcast assets		$ 53.0
Gain (loss) on disposal, attributable to non-controlling interest		$ 12.0
Consolidated Real Estate Development Project
Segment data
Asset impairment charges												$ 60.0

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $228 million and $127 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs.  Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $27 million and $22 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us.  See Note 14. Variable Interest Entities.