PROGRAM CONTRACTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Future payments required under program contracts
Less: Current portion	$ 88	$ 93
Long-term portion of program contracts payable	$ 39	$ 50
Lag period for film payments	3 months
Program contract payments due in arrears	$ 23
Non-cancelable commitments for future program rights	115
Program Rights
Future payments required under program contracts
2020	88
2021	14
2022	12
2023	9
2024	4
Total	127
Less: Current portion	88
Long-term portion of program contracts payable	$ 39

Represents the time lag for making film payments under the industry protocol.

No definition available.

Name:	sbgi_LagPeriodForFilmPayments
Namespace Prefix:	sbgi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the aggregate amount of non-cancelable commitments for future program rights.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Represents the amount of contractual obligation of program contract payments due in arrears which is scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation, including but not limited to, long-term debt, capital lease obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations, and other commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of contractual obligation due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of obligations related to rights to programming, including, but not limited to, feature films and episodic series, acquired under license agreements that will be paid within the next twelve months.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of obligations related to rights to programming, including, but not limited to, feature films and episodic series, acquired under license agreements that will be paid after one year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis=sbgi_ProgramRightsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: