FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES OF SUBSIDIARIES - Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 1,476	$ 1,535	$ 1,612	$ 1,511	$ 1,512	$ 1,539	$ 1,283	$ 1,609	$ 6,134	$ 5,943	$ 4,240
Media programming and production expenses									4,291	2,735	2,073
Selling, general and administrative									1,078	980	1,119
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets									0	4,264	0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									670	736	578
Total operating expenses									6,039	8,715	3,770
Operating income	165	73	(178)	35	625	(4,216)	492	327	95	(2,772)	470
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Interest expense									(618)	(656)	(422)
Other (expense) income									24	279	(39)
Total other expense, net									(594)	(377)	(461)
Income tax benefit (provision)									173	720	96
NET (LOSS) INCOME									(326)	(2,429)	105
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									(18)	(56)	(48)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									(70)	71	(10)
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group	$ (89)	$ 19	$ (332)	$ (12)	$ 467	$ (3,256)	$ 252	$ 123	(414)	(2,414)	47
Comprehensive (loss) income									(318)	(2,437)	104
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									0	0	0
Media programming and production expenses									0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative									12	18	147
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									1	2	0
Total operating expenses									13	20	147
Operating income									(13)	(20)	(147)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									(350)	(2,409)	165
Interest expense									(13)	(13)	(5)
Other (expense) income									(63)	27	2
Total other expense, net									(426)	(2,395)	162
Income tax benefit (provision)									25	1	32
NET (LOSS) INCOME									(414)	(2,414)	47
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group									(414)	(2,414)	47
Comprehensive (loss) income									(414)	(2,414)	47
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									111	100	35
Media programming and production expenses									4	3	0
Selling, general and administrative									160	122	147
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									8	8	(20)
Total operating expenses									172	133	127
Operating income									(61)	(33)	(92)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									435	877	577
Interest expense									(180)	(191)	(216)
Other (expense) income									16	4	(7)
Total other expense, net									271	690	354
Income tax benefit (provision)									35	51	66
NET (LOSS) INCOME									245	708	328
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group									245	708	328
Comprehensive (loss) income									246	707	327
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									2,979	3,081	2,841
Media programming and production expenses									1,425	1,284	1,238
Selling, general and administrative									715	658	663
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									327	211	278
Total operating expenses									2,467	2,153	2,179
Operating income									512	928	662
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Interest expense									(3)	(3)	(4)
Other (expense) income									(24)	(41)	(53)
Total other expense, net									(27)	(44)	(57)
Income tax benefit (provision)									(44)	3	(21)
NET (LOSS) INCOME									441	887	584
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group									441	887	584
Comprehensive (loss) income									441	887	584
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									3,251	2,946	1,487
Media programming and production expenses									2,916	1,519	894
Selling, general and administrative									336	279	202
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										4,264
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									341	525	334
Total operating expenses									3,593	6,587	1,430
Operating income									(342)	(3,641)	57
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Interest expense									(450)	(474)	(216)
Other (expense) income									111	303	24
Total other expense, net									(339)	(171)	(192)
Income tax benefit (provision)									157	665	19
NET (LOSS) INCOME									(524)	(3,147)	(116)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									(18)	(56)	(48)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									(70)	71	(10)
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group									(612)	(3,132)	(174)
Comprehensive (loss) income									(517)	(3,154)	(116)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									(160)	(116)	(59)
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0
Operating income									(1)	(6)	(8)
Interest expense									14	12	13
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue									(207)	(184)	(123)
Media programming and production expenses									(54)	(71)	(59)
Selling, general and administrative									(145)	(97)	(40)
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses									(7)	(10)	(14)
Total operating expenses									(206)	(178)	(113)
Operating income									(1)	(6)	(10)
Equity in (loss) earnings of consolidated subsidiaries									(85)	1,532	(742)
Interest expense									28	25	19
Other (expense) income									(16)	(14)	(5)
Total other expense, net									(73)	1,543	(728)
Income tax benefit (provision)									0	0	0
NET (LOSS) INCOME									(74)	1,537	(738)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group									(74)	1,537	(738)
Comprehensive (loss) income									$ (74)	$ 1,537	$ (738)