Represents the amount paid for transactions to related party during the financial reporting period.

No definition available.

Name:	sbgi_RelatedPartyTransactionPaymentsToRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	sbgi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of the lessee's leasing arrangement renewal, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of the lessee's leasing arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Expenses recognized resulting from transactions (excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements) with related party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 850
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

- Details

Name:	sbgi_RelatedPartyTransactionsByTypeOfServicesAxis=sbgi_LeaseServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=sbgi_EntitiesOwnedByControllingShareholdersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	sbgi_RelatedPartyTransactionsByTypeOfServicesAxis=sbgi_CharterAircraftMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_MajorityShareholderMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS - Transactions with our Controlling Shareholders (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Feb. 29, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Lease Services \| Entities owned by the controlling shareholders
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Lease payments made to entities		$ 1.4	$ 1.2
Charter Aircraft \| Controlling shareholders
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Lease term	30 months
Lease renewal term	12 months
Charter Aircraft \| Controlling shareholders \| Maximum
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Aircraft expenses		$ 0.5	$ 0.4