FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES OF SUBSIDIARIES - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 816	$ 1,259
Accounts receivable, net		1,245	1,060
Other current assets		410	898
Total current assets		2,471	3,217
Property and equipment, net		833	823
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash		3	3
Goodwill		2,088	2,092	$ 4,716
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		150	171	$ 158
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		5,088	5,624
Other long-term assets		1,908	1,452
Total assets	[1]	12,541	13,382
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		655	533
Current portion of long-term debt		69	58
Other current liabilities		478	443
Total current liabilities		1,202	1,034
Long-term debt		12,271	12,493
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Other liabilities		577	850
Total liabilities	[1]	14,050	14,377
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		197	190
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		(1,770)	(1,274)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		64	89
Total liabilities and equity		12,541	13,382
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		2	0
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		10	7
Total current assets		12	7
Property and equipment, net		1	1
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		451	430
Restricted cash		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Other long-term assets		331	139
Total assets		795	577
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		31	19
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Other current liabilities		2	1
Total current liabilities		33	20
Long-term debt		915	700
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		1,605	1,118
Other liabilities		12	12
Total liabilities		2,565	1,850
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		(1,770)	(1,273)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		795	577
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		316	458
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		82	46
Total current assets		398	504
Property and equipment, net		31	33
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		3,448	3,549
Restricted cash		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Other long-term assets		1,956	1,718
Total assets		5,833	5,804
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		85	70
Current portion of long-term debt		20	13
Other current liabilities		6	2
Total current liabilities		111	85
Long-term debt		4,317	4,337
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Other liabilities		69	121
Total liabilities		4,497	4,543
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		1,336	1,261
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,833	5,804
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		2	0
Accounts receivable, net		649	558
Other current assets		293	372
Total current assets		944	930
Property and equipment, net		664	706
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash		0	0
Goodwill		2,081	2,082
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		136	156
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		1,105	1,256
Other long-term assets		427	280
Total assets		5,357	5,410
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		295	247
Current portion of long-term debt		5	5
Other current liabilities		155	134
Total current liabilities		455	386
Long-term debt		33	33
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Other liabilities		1,426	1,445
Total liabilities		1,914	1,864
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		3,443	3,546
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,357	5,410
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		496	801
Accounts receivable, net		596	502
Other current assets		136	560
Total current assets		1,228	1,863
Property and equipment, net		161	109
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash		3	3
Goodwill		7	10
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		14	15
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		4,019	4,409
Other long-term assets		1,853	1,569
Total assets		7,285	7,978
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		279	284
Current portion of long-term debt		45	41
Other current liabilities		392	306
Total current liabilities		716	631
Long-term debt		8,488	8,460
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Other liabilities		468	710
Total liabilities		9,672	9,801
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		197	190
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		(2,644)	(2,098)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		60	85
Total liabilities and equity		7,285	7,978
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		(111)	(87)
Total current assets		(111)	(87)
Property and equipment, net		(24)	(26)
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		(3,899)	(3,979)
Restricted cash		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		(36)	(41)
Other long-term assets		(2,659)	(2,254)
Total assets		(6,729)	(6,387)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(35)	(87)
Current portion of long-term debt		(1)	(1)
Other current liabilities		(77)	0
Total current liabilities		(113)	(88)
Long-term debt		(1,482)	(1,037)
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries		(1,605)	(1,118)
Other liabilities		(1,398)	(1,438)
Total liabilities		(4,598)	(3,681)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group (deficit) equity		(2,135)	(2,710)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		4	4
Total liabilities and equity		$ (6,729)	$ (6,387)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $217 million and $233 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $62 million and $60 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 14. Variable Interest Entities.