CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	$ 1,612	$ 1,283	$ 3,123	$ 2,892
Media programming and production expenses	1,345	383	2,368	1,211
Selling, general and administrative expenses	270	218	544	477
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	175	190	354	385
Total operating expenses	1,790	791	3,266	2,073
Operating (loss) income	(178)	492	(143)	819
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(160)	(165)	(311)	(345)
Other (expense) income	(59)	0	74	(8)
Total other expense, net	(219)	(165)	(237)	(353)
Income tax benefit (provision)	69	(54)	78	(42)
NET (LOSS) INCOME	(328)	273	(302)	424
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	(5)	(12)	(9)	(32)
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	1	(9)	(33)	(17)
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	(332)	252	(344)	375
Comprehensive (loss) income	(331)	264	(297)	415
Reportable Legal Entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Media programming and production expenses	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	4	3	7	6
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	4	3	7	6
Operating (loss) income	(4)	(3)	(7)	(6)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(243)	257	(288)	386
Interest expense	(4)	(4)	(7)	(7)
Other (expense) income	(83)	1	(63)	(1)
Total other expense, net	(330)	254	(358)	378
Income tax benefit (provision)	2	1	21	3
NET (LOSS) INCOME	(332)	252	(344)	375
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	(332)	252	(344)	375
Comprehensive (loss) income	(332)	252	(344)	375
Reportable Legal Entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	28	25	55	49
Media programming and production expenses	1	0	2	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	32	26	90	70
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	2	4	4	5
Total operating expenses	35	30	96	75
Operating (loss) income	(7)	(5)	(41)	(26)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	116	67	204	240
Interest expense	(50)	(47)	(92)	(102)
Other (expense) income	9	8	14	6
Total other expense, net	75	28	126	144
Income tax benefit (provision)	22	(9)	29	20
NET (LOSS) INCOME	90	14	114	138
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	90	14	114	138
Comprehensive (loss) income	90	14	114	138
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	744	627	1,449	1,366
Media programming and production expenses	359	312	707	640
Selling, general and administrative expenses	173	151	339	319
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	85	52	159	103
Total operating expenses	617	515	1,205	1,062
Operating (loss) income	127	112	244	304
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Other (expense) income	(10)	(10)	(22)	(19)
Total other expense, net	(10)	(11)	(23)	(21)
Income tax benefit (provision)	0	(34)	(15)	(40)
NET (LOSS) INCOME	117	67	206	243
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	117	67	206	243
Comprehensive (loss) income	117	67	206	243
Reportable Legal Entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	886	671	1,704	1,564
Media programming and production expenses	999	83	1,683	599
Selling, general and administrative expenses	91	63	165	130
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	90	136	195	283
Total operating expenses	1,180	282	2,043	1,012
Operating (loss) income	(294)	389	(339)	552
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(113)	(120)	(224)	(247)
Other (expense) income	29	4	152	12
Total other expense, net	(84)	(116)	(72)	(235)
Income tax benefit (provision)	45	(12)	43	(25)
NET (LOSS) INCOME	(333)	261	(368)	292
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	(5)	(12)	(9)	(32)
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	1	(9)	(33)	(17)
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	(337)	240	(410)	243
Comprehensive (loss) income	(336)	252	(363)	283
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	(46)	(40)	(85)	(87)
Media programming and production expenses	(14)	(12)	(24)	(28)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(30)	(25)	(57)	(48)
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	(2)	(2)	(4)	(6)
Total operating expenses	(46)	(39)	(85)	(82)
Operating (loss) income	0	(1)	0	(5)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	127	(324)	84	(626)
Interest expense	7	7	13	13
Other (expense) income	(4)	(3)	(7)	(6)
Total other expense, net	130	(320)	90	(619)
Income tax benefit (provision)	0	0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME	130	(321)	90	(624)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net loss (income) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	130	(321)	90	(624)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 130	$ (321)	$ 90	$ (624)