SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions			12 Months Ended
		Mar. 01, 2022	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Segment data
Goodwill			$ 2,082	$ 2,088	$ 2,088
Assets	[1]		6,085	6,704
Revenue			3,134	3,928	6,134
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			271	321	591
Amortization of sports programming rights			0	326	2,350
Amortization of program contract costs			80	90	93
Corporate general and administrative expenses			694	160	170
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary		$ (3,357)	10	(3,357)	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			3	(64)	(71)
Operating income (loss)			(331)	3,980	95
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			305	296	618
Income from equity method investments			29	56	45
Capital expenditures			92	105	80
Local media
Segment data
Goodwill			2,016	2,016	2,016
Gain recognized on sale			8	4	24
Local media | Related Party
Segment data
Revenue			52	39
Local sports | C-Band Spectrum
Segment data
Gain on disposition of assets					43
Operating segments | Local media
Segment data
Goodwill			2,016	2,016
Assets			4,747	5,554
Revenue			2,866	3,193	2,887
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			243	243	248
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			80	90	93
Corporate general and administrative expenses			134	117	148
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			0	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			(14)	(17)	(23)
Operating income (loss)			227	591	388
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			305	226	183
Income from equity method investments			0	0	0
Capital expenditures			86	96	52
Intersegment revenues				26	111
Operating segments | Local sports
Segment data
Revenue				482	3,056
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets				54	316
Amortization of sports programming rights				326	2,350
Amortization of program contract costs				0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses				1	10
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary				0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment				0	(43)
Operating income (loss)				(4)	(317)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs				72	436
Income from equity method investments				10	49
Capital expenditures				2	16
Operating segments | Other & Corporate
Segment data
Goodwill			5	11
Assets			1,048	826
Revenue			62	95	128
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			10	7	9
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			559	42	12
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			10	(3,357)
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			17	(47)	(5)
Operating income (loss)			(608)	3,341	(47)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			0	6	13
Income from equity method investments			31	46	(4)
Capital expenditures			5	6	10
Eliminations
Segment data
Goodwill			0	0
Assets			(3)	0
Revenue			(22)	(59)	(161)
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			(3)	(4)	(3)
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			0	0	0
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			0	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			0	0	0
Operating income (loss)			0	0	0
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			0	(8)	(14)
Income from equity method investments			0	0	0
Capital expenditures			0	0	0
Corporate And Reconciling Items
Segment data
Intersegment revenues			8	12	35
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC
Segment data
Goodwill			2,016	2,088	2,088
Assets	[2]		4,837	6,704
Revenue			2,978	3,928	6,134
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			252	321	591
Amortization of sports programming rights			0	326	2,350
Amortization of program contract costs			80	90	93
Corporate general and administrative expenses			654	160	170
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary		$ (3,357)	10	(3,357)	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			(2)	(64)	(71)
Operating income (loss)			(302)	3,980	95
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			305	296	618
Income from equity method investments			31	56	45
Capital expenditures			90	105	80
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Local media
Segment data
Goodwill			2,016	2,016	2,016
Gain recognized on sale			8	4	24
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Local media | Related Party
Segment data
Revenue			55	39
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Local sports | C-Band Spectrum
Segment data
Gain on disposition of assets					43
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Operating segments | Local media
Segment data
Goodwill			2,016	2,016
Assets			4,750	5,554
Revenue			2,866	3,193	2,887
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			243	243	248
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			80	90	93
Corporate general and administrative expenses			134	117	148
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			0	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			(14)	(17)	(23)
Operating income (loss)			227	591	388
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			305	226	183
Income from equity method investments			0	0	0
Capital expenditures			86	96	52
Intersegment revenues				26	111
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Operating segments | Local sports
Segment data
Revenue				482	3,056
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets				54	316
Amortization of sports programming rights				326	2,350
Amortization of program contract costs				0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses				1	10
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary				0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment				0	(43)
Operating income (loss)				(4)	(317)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs				72	436
Income from equity method investments				10	49
Capital expenditures				2	16
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Operating segments | Other & Corporate
Segment data
Goodwill			0	72
Assets			87	1,150
Revenue			119	312	352
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			10	28	30
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			520	42	12
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			10	(3,357)
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			12	(47)	(5)
Operating income (loss)			(529)	3,393	24
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			0	6	13
Income from equity method investments			31	46	(4)
Capital expenditures			4	7	12
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Eliminations
Segment data
Goodwill			0	0
Assets			0	0
Revenue			(7)	(59)	(161)
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			(1)	(4)	(3)
Amortization of sports programming rights				0	0
Amortization of program contract costs			0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			0	0	0
Loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary			0	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			0	0	0
Operating income (loss)			0	0	0
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			0	(8)	(14)
Income from equity method investments			0	0	0
Capital expenditures			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include total assets of Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs") of $85 million and $115 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $17 million and $18 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 14. Variable Interest Entities.

[2] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include total assets of VIEs of $85 million and $115 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $17 million and $18 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 13. Variable Interest Entities.