CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 884	$ 816
Accounts receivable, net		612	1,245
Other current assets		187	410
Total current assets		1,683	2,471
Property and equipment, net		728	833
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash		0	3
Goodwill		2,088	2,088	$ 2,092
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		150	150	$ 171
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		946	5,088
Other long-term assets		1,109	1,908
Total assets	[1]	6,704	12,541
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		397	655
Current portion of long-term debt		38	69
Other current liabilities		173	478
Total current liabilities		608	1,202
Long-term debt		4,227	12,271
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			0
Other long-term liabilities		994	577
Total liabilities	[1]	5,829	14,050
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		194	197
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		748	(1,770)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(67)	64
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		6,704	12,541
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		47	2
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		32	10
Total current assets		79	12
Property and equipment, net		0	1
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		962	451
Restricted cash			0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Other long-term assets		542	331
Total assets		1,583	795
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		0	31
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Other current liabilities		4	2
Total current liabilities		4	33
Long-term debt		0	915
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			1,605
Other long-term liabilities		831	12
Total liabilities		835	2,565
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		748	(1,770)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		1,583	795
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		750	316
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		42	82
Total current assets		792	398
Property and equipment, net		31	31
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		3,463	3,448
Restricted cash			0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Other long-term assets		938	1,956
Total assets		5,224	5,833
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		80	85
Current portion of long-term debt		28	20
Other current liabilities		8	6
Total current liabilities		116	111
Long-term debt		4,181	4,317
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			0
Other long-term liabilities		52	69
Total liabilities		4,349	4,497
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		875	1,336
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		5,224	5,833
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		1	2
Accounts receivable, net		555	649
Other current assets		159	293
Total current assets		715	944
Property and equipment, net		668	664
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash			0
Goodwill		2,081	2,081
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		136	136
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		935	1,105
Other long-term assets		512	427
Total assets		5,047	5,357
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		300	295
Current portion of long-term debt		6	5
Other current liabilities		139	155
Total current liabilities		445	455
Long-term debt		24	33
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			0
Other long-term liabilities		1,120	1,426
Total liabilities		1,589	1,914
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		3,458	3,443
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		5,047	5,357
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		86	496
Accounts receivable, net		57	596
Other current assets		19	136
Total current assets		162	1,228
Property and equipment, net		51	161
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Restricted cash			3
Goodwill		7	7
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		14	14
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		42	4,019
Other long-term assets		573	1,853
Total assets		849	7,285
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		18	279
Current portion of long-term debt		5	45
Other current liabilities		87	392
Total current liabilities		110	716
Long-term debt		387	8,488
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			0
Other long-term liabilities		314	468
Total liabilities		811	9,672
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		194	197
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(86)	(2,644)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(70)	60
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		849	7,285
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Accounts receivable, net		0	0
Other current assets		(65)	(111)
Total current assets		(65)	(111)
Property and equipment, net		(22)	(24)
Investment in equity of consolidated subsidiaries		(4,425)	(3,899)
Restricted cash			0
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		(31)	(36)
Other long-term assets		(1,456)	(2,659)
Total assets		(5,999)	(6,729)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(1)	(35)
Current portion of long-term debt		(1)	(1)
Other current liabilities		(65)	(77)
Total current liabilities		(67)	(113)
Long-term debt		(365)	(1,482)
Investment in deficit of consolidated subsidiaries			(1,605)
Other long-term liabilities		(1,323)	(1,398)
Total liabilities		(1,755)	(4,598)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(4,247)	(2,135)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		3	4
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		$ (5,999)	$ (6,729)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 include total assets of VIEs of $115 million and $217 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $18 million and $62 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 14. Variable Interest Entities.