CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 1,333.0	$ 1,060.0
Accounts receivable		1,132.0	599.0
Other current assets		448.0	125.0
Total current assets		2,913.0	1,784.0
Property and equipment, net		765.0	683.0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0.0	0.0
Goodwill		4,716.0	2,124.0	$ 2,124.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		158.0	158.0	$ 159.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		7,977.0	1,627.0
Other long-term assets		841.0	196.0
Total assets	[1]	17,370.0	6,572.0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		782.0	330.0
Current portion of long-term debt		71.0	43.0
Other current liabilities		281.0	200.0
Total current liabilities		1,134.0	573.0
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		12,367.0	3,850.0
Other liabilities		1,097.0	549.0
Total liabilities	[1]	14,598.0	4,972.0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		1,078.0	0.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		1,502.0	1,639.0
Noncontrolling interests		192.0	(39.0)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		17,370.0	6,572.0
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0.0	0.0
Accounts receivable		0.0	0.0
Other current assets		5.0	3.0
Total current assets		5.0	3.0
Property and equipment, net		1.0	1.0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		2,270.0	1,604.0
Goodwill		0.0	0.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0.0	0.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		0.0	0.0
Other long-term assets		82.0	31.0
Total assets		2,358.0	1,639.0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		142.0	0.0
Current portion of long-term debt		0.0	0.0
Other current liabilities		0.0	0.0
Total current liabilities		142.0	0.0
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		700.0	0.0
Other liabilities		13.0	0.0
Total liabilities		855.0	0.0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		1,503.0	1,639.0
Noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		2,358.0	1,639.0
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		357.0	962.0
Accounts receivable		0.0	0.0
Other current assets		41.0	6.0
Total current assets		398.0	968.0
Property and equipment, net		31.0	32.0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		3,558.0	3,654.0
Goodwill		0.0	0.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0.0	0.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		0.0	0.0
Other long-term assets		1,611.0	851.0
Total assets		5,598.0	5,505.0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		109.0	78.0
Current portion of long-term debt		27.0	31.0
Other current liabilities		1.0	1.0
Total current liabilities		137.0	110.0
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		4,348.0	3,776.0
Other liabilities		53.0	40.0
Total liabilities		4,538.0	3,926.0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		1,060.0	1,579.0
Noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		5,598.0	5,505.0
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		3.0	19.0
Accounts receivable		561.0	531.0
Other current assets		264.0	103.0
Total current assets		828.0	653.0
Property and equipment, net		659.0	594.0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0.0	4.0
Goodwill		2,091.0	2,120.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		144.0	144.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		1,426.0	1,609.0
Other long-term assets		279.0	119.0
Total assets		5,427.0	5,243.0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		286.0	237.0
Current portion of long-term debt		4.0	4.0
Other current liabilities		133.0	144.0
Total current liabilities		423.0	385.0
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		32.0	36.0
Other liabilities		1,418.0	1,169.0
Total liabilities		1,873.0	1,590.0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		3,554.0	3,653.0
Noncontrolling interests		0.0	0.0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		5,427.0	5,243.0
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		973.0	79.0
Accounts receivable		571.0	68.0
Other current assets		188.0	37.0
Total current assets		1,732.0	184.0
Property and equipment, net		96.0	70.0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0.0	0.0
Goodwill		2,625.0	4.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		14.0	14.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		6,598.0	70.0
Other long-term assets		618.0	166.0
Total assets		11,683.0	508.0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		296.0	40.0
Current portion of long-term debt		41.0	8.0
Other current liabilities		147.0	55.0
Total current liabilities		484.0	103.0
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		8,317.0	383.0
Other liabilities		547.0	173.0
Total liabilities		9,348.0	659.0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		1,078.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		1,069.0	(108.0)
Noncontrolling interests		188.0	(43.0)
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		11,683.0	508.0
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0.0	0.0
Accounts receivable		0.0	0.0
Other current assets		(50.0)	(24.0)
Total current assets		(50.0)	(24.0)
Property and equipment, net		(22.0)	(14.0)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(5,828.0)	(5,262.0)
Goodwill		0.0	0.0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0.0	0.0
Finite-lived intangible assets, net		(47.0)	(52.0)
Other long-term assets		(1,749.0)	(971.0)
Total assets		(7,696.0)	(6,323.0)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(51.0)	(25.0)
Current portion of long-term debt		(1.0)	0.0
Other current liabilities		0.0	0.0
Total current liabilities		(52.0)	(25.0)
Notes payable, finance leases, and commercial bank financing, less current portion		(1,030.0)	(345.0)
Other liabilities		(934.0)	(833.0)
Total liabilities		(2,016.0)	(1,203.0)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests		0.0
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity		(5,684.0)	(5,124.0)
Noncontrolling interests		4.0	4.0
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests, and equity		$ (7,696.0)	$ (6,323.0)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $228 million and $127 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs.  Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $27 million and $22 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us.  See Note 14. Variable Interest Entities.