CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Mar. 01, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2022	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue		$ 960	$ 843	$ 837	$ 1,288	$ 1,476	$ 1,535	$ 1,612	$ 1,511	$ 3,928	$ 6,134	$ 5,943
Media programming and production expenses										1,942	4,291	2,735
Selling, general and administrative										972	1,078	980
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets										0	0	4,264
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary	$ (3,357)									(3,357)	0	0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										391	670	736
Total operating (gains) expenses										(52)	6,039	8,715
Operating income (loss)		253	154	107	3,466	165	73	(178)	35	3,980	95	(2,772)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Interest expense										(296)	(618)	(656)
Other (expense) income										(70)	24	279
Total other expense, net										(366)	(594)	(377)
Income tax (provision) benefit										(913)	173	720
NET INCOME (LOSS)										2,701	(326)	(2,429)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										(20)	(18)	(56)
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										(29)	(70)	71
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group		$ 55	$ 21	$ (11)	$ 2,587	$ (89)	$ 19	$ (332)	$ (12)	2,652	(414)	(2,414)
Comprehensive income (loss)										2,707	(318)	(2,437)
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										0	0	0
Media programming and production expenses										0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative										41	12	18
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										(3,357)
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										(32)	1	2
Total operating (gains) expenses										(3,348)	13	20
Operating income (loss)										3,348	(13)	(20)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										16	(350)	(2,409)
Interest expense										(4)	(13)	(13)
Other (expense) income										26	(63)	27
Total other expense, net										38	(426)	(2,395)
Income tax (provision) benefit										(734)	25	1
NET INCOME (LOSS)										2,652	(414)	(2,414)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group										2,652	(414)	(2,414)
Comprehensive income (loss)										2,652	(414)	(2,414)
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										65	111	100
Media programming and production expenses										5	4	3
Selling, general and administrative										140	160	122
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										6	8	8
Total operating (gains) expenses										151	172	133
Operating income (loss)										(86)	(61)	(33)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										575	435	877
Interest expense										(222)	(180)	(191)
Other (expense) income										6	16	4
Total other expense, net										359	271	690
Income tax (provision) benefit										58	35	51
NET INCOME (LOSS)										331	245	708
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group										331	245	708
Comprehensive income (loss)										334	246	707
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										3,349	2,979	3,081
Media programming and production expenses										1,485	1,425	1,284
Selling, general and administrative										790	715	658
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										329	327	211
Total operating (gains) expenses										2,604	2,467	2,153
Operating income (loss)										745	512	928
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Interest expense										(3)	(3)	(3)
Other (expense) income										8	(24)	(41)
Total other expense, net										5	(27)	(44)
Income tax (provision) benefit										(170)	(44)	3
NET INCOME (LOSS)										580	441	887
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group										580	441	887
Comprehensive income (loss)										580	441	887
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										681	3,251	2,946
Media programming and production expenses										530	2,916	1,519
Selling, general and administrative										80	336	279
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												4,264
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										98	341	525
Total operating (gains) expenses										708	3,593	6,587
Operating income (loss)										(27)	(342)	(3,641)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Interest expense										(85)	(450)	(474)
Other (expense) income										(104)	111	303
Total other expense, net										(189)	(339)	(171)
Income tax (provision) benefit										(67)	157	665
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(283)	(524)	(3,147)
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										(20)	(18)	(56)
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										(29)	(70)	71
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group										(332)	(612)	(3,132)
Comprehensive income (loss)										(280)	(517)	(3,154)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										(98)	(160)	(116)
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										0
Operating income (loss)										0	(1)	(6)
Interest expense										14	14	12
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue										(167)	(207)	(184)
Media programming and production expenses										(78)	(54)	(71)
Selling, general and administrative										(79)	(145)	(97)
Impairment of goodwill and definite-lived intangible assets												0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary										0
Depreciation, amortization and other operating (gains) expenses										(10)	(7)	(10)
Total operating (gains) expenses										(167)	(206)	(178)
Operating income (loss)										0	(1)	(6)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries										(591)	(85)	1,532
Interest expense										18	28	25
Other (expense) income										(6)	(16)	(14)
Total other expense, net										(579)	(73)	1,543
Income tax (provision) benefit										0	0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)										(579)	(74)	1,537
Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests										0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group										(579)	(74)	1,537
Comprehensive income (loss)										$ (579)	$ (74)	$ 1,537