CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	$ 1,609	$ 722
Media program and production expenses	828	319
Selling, general and administrative	259	188
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	195	121
Total operating expenses	1,282	628
Operating income	327	94
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(180)	(54)
Other income (expense)	(8)	(12)
Total other expense, net	(188)	(66)
Income tax benefit (provision)	12	(5)
NET INCOME	151	23
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	(20)	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(8)	(1)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	123	22
Comprehensive income	151	23
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	0	0
Media program and production expenses	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	3	2
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	0
Total operating expenses	3	2
Operating income	(3)	(2)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	129	24
Interest expense	(3)	0
Other income (expense)	(2)	0
Total other expense, net	124	24
Income tax benefit (provision)	2	0
NET INCOME	123	22
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	123	22
Comprehensive income	123	23
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	24	0
Media program and production expenses	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	44	26
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	1	1
Total operating expenses	45	27
Operating income	(21)	(27)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	173	89
Interest expense	(55)	(53)
Other income (expense)	(2)	1
Total other expense, net	116	37
Income tax benefit (provision)	29	12
NET INCOME	124	22
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	124	22
Comprehensive income	124	22
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	739	656
Media program and production expenses	328	301
Selling, general and administrative	168	156
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	51	78
Total operating expenses	547	535
Operating income	192	121
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(1)	(1)
Other income (expense)	(9)	(12)
Total other expense, net	(10)	(13)
Income tax benefit (provision)	(6)	(17)
NET INCOME	176	91
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	176	91
Comprehensive income	176	91
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	893	83
Media program and production expenses	516	30
Selling, general and administrative	67	5
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	147	44
Total operating expenses	730	79
Operating income	163	4
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Interest expense	(127)	(4)
Other income (expense)	8	(1)
Total other expense, net	(119)	(5)
Income tax benefit (provision)	(13)	0
NET INCOME	31	(1)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	(20)
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(8)	(2)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	3	(3)
Comprehensive income	31	(1)
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Total revenues	(47)	(17)
Media program and production expenses	(16)	(12)
Selling, general and administrative	(23)	(1)
Depreciation, amortization and other operating expenses	(4)	(2)
Total operating expenses	(43)	(15)
Operating income	(4)	(2)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(302)	(113)
Interest expense	6	4
Other income (expense)	(3)	0
Total other expense, net	(299)	(109)
Income tax benefit (provision)	0	0
NET INCOME	(303)	(111)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests	0
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0	1
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	(303)	(110)
Comprehensive income	$ (303)	$ (112)