CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 916	$ 647	$ 432
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(156)	(105)	(84)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(8,999)	0	(271)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	8	2	195
Purchases of investments	(452)	(48)	(63)
Distributions from equity method investees	7	24	32
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	62	6	311
Other, net	0	3	(6)
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	(9,530)	(118)	114
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	9,956	4	166
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(1,236)	(167)	(340)
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	985	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock	0	0	488
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(73)	(74)	(71)
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(33)	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(145)	(221)	(30)
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(297)	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(199)	(1)	(1)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(32)	(9)	(22)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	0	0	0
Other, net	(39)	3	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	8,887	(465)	190
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	273	64	736
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	1,060	996	260
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	1,333	1,060	996
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(5)	(9)	(8)
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0		0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	(6)	(2)	(1)
Distributions from equity method investees	0	6	6
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	(6)	4	5
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	0	0	(2)
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	0
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock			488
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(73)	(74)	(71)
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(145)	(221)	(30)
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	227	297	(382)
Other, net	2	3	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	11	5	3
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	0	0	0
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(210)	(253)	(181)
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(4)	(7)	(15)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0		(8)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	(39)	(14)	(8)
Distributions from equity method investees	3	0	20
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	(40)	(21)	(11)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	1,793	0	159
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(1,213)	(148)	(214)
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	0
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock			0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Debt issuance costs	(25)	0	(1)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(905)	738	661
Other, net	(5)	0	1
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(355)	590	606
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	(605)	316	414
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	962	646	232
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	357	962	646
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	734	936	600
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(152)	(98)	(68)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0		(263)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	2	0
Purchases of investments	(54)	(29)	(21)
Distributions from equity method investees	0	0	0
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	62	6	311
Other, net	(1)	3	0
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	(145)	(116)	(41)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(4)	(4)	(3)
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	0
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock			0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(601)	(1,117)	(243)
Other, net	0	(3)	(1)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(605)	(1,124)	(247)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	(16)	(304)	312
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	19	323	11
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	3	19	323
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	396	(40)	12
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(11)	(4)	(3)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(8,999)		0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	8	0	195
Purchases of investments	(353)	(3)	(33)
Distributions from equity method investees	4	18	6
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	0	0	0
Other, net	1	0	(6)
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	(9,350)	11	159
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	8,163	4	7
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(19)	(15)	(121)
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	985
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock			0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(33)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(297)
Debt issuance costs	(174)	(1)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(32)	(9)	(22)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	1,291	100	(25)
Other, net	(36)	2	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	9,848	81	(161)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	894	52	10
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	79	27	17
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	973	79	27
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	1	13	9
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	11	4	2
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0		0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0	0
Distributions from equity method investees	0	0	0
Spectrum repack reimbursements and auction proceeds	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities	11	4	2
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity, net	0
Proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock			0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(12)	(18)	(11)
Other, net	0	1	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(12)	(17)	(11)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0