Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Gross

No definition available.

Name:	sbgi_DebtandCapitalLeaseObligationsGross
Namespace Prefix:	sbgi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unamortized debt discount (premium) and debt issuance costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumAndDebtIssuanceCostsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital leases due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=sbgi_NotesAndBankCreditAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_RecourseDebtOfVariableInterestEntitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_OtherOperatingDivisionsDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=sbgi_TermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_TermLoanAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_TermLoanBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes6.375PercentDue2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes5.375PercentDue2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes6.125PercentDue2022Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes5.625PercentDue2024Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes5.875PercentDue2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=sbgi_SeniorUnsecuredNotes5.125PercentDue2027Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

NOTES PAYABLE AND COMMERCIAL BANK FINANCING - Schedule of Notes Payable, Capital Leases and Bank Credit Agreement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Aug. 15, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capital Lease Obligations	$ 33,280		$ 34,774
Total outstanding principal	4,229,512		3,875,671
Less: Deferred financing costs and discount	(43,449)		(42,327)
Less: Current portion	(171,131)		(164,184)
Long-term debt	4,014,932		3,669,160
Notes and Bank Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less: Deferred financing costs and discount	(43,449)
Debt of variable interest entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	23,198		26,682
Debt of other non-media related subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	135,211		120,969
Term Loan \| Term Loan A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	272,198		313,620
Term Loan \| Term Loan B
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	1,365,625		1,379,626
Senior Notes \| 6.375% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	0	$ 350,000	350,000
Senior Notes \| 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	600,000		600,000
Senior Notes \| 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	500,000		500,000
Senior Notes \| 5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	550,000		550,000
Senior Notes \| 5.875% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	350,000		0
Senior Notes \| 5.125% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding loan amount	$ 400,000		$ 0