CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 799	$ 327	$ 1,548
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(105)	(80)	(157)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	(4)	(16)
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash	(315)	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	9	43	36
Purchases of investments	(75)	(256)	(139)
Distributions from investments	99	26	26
Spectrum repack reimbursements	4	24	90
Other, net	2	27	27
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(381)	(246)	(159)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	728	357	1,819
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(863)	(601)	(1,739)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(70)	(60)	(63)
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(7)	(5)	(36)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(120)	(61)	(343)
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0	0	(547)
Debt issuance costs	0	(1)	(19)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(12)	(95)	(32)
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	(6)	(383)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	0	0	0
Other, net	(9)	(53)	(117)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(353)	(524)	(1,460)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	65	(443)	(71)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	819	1,262	1,333
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	884	819	1,262
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	6	(5)	(119)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	(48)	(9)	(43)
Distributions from investments	64
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0	0	0
Other, net	0	(183)	1
Net cash flows used in investing activities	16	(192)	(42)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	0	0	0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(70)	(60)	(63)
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(120)	(61)	(343)
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity			0
Debt issuance costs			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	0	0	0
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	214	333	565
Other, net	(1)	(13)	2
Net cash flows used in financing activities	23	199	161
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	45	2	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	2	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	47	2	0
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(210)	(216)	(75)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(4)	(2)	(8)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	(1)	(9)	(8)
Distributions from investments	0
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0	0	0
Other, net	3	0	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(2)	(11)	(16)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	728	341	1,398
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(855)	(362)	(1,434)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity			0
Debt issuance costs			(11)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	0	0	0
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	781	106	239
Other, net	(8)	0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	646	85	192
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	434	(142)	101
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	316	458	357
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	750	316	458
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	600	583	864
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(100)	(64)	(130)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		(4)	(16)
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	5	34	36
Purchases of investments	(4)	(46)	(43)
Distributions from investments	10
Spectrum repack reimbursements	4	24	90
Other, net	(1)	(1)	(2)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(86)	(57)	(65)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(5)	(6)	(4)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity			0
Debt issuance costs			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	0	0	0
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(510)	(518)	(798)
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(515)	(524)	(802)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	(1)	2	(3)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	2	0	3
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	1	2	0
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	401	(46)	875
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(5)	(18)	(26)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash	(315)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	4	9	0
Purchases of investments	(22)	(192)	(45)
Distributions from investments	25
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0	0	0
Other, net	0	28	28
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(313)	(173)	(43)
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	46	421
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	(3)	(51)	(301)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	(7)	(5)	(36)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity			(547)
Debt issuance costs			(8)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(12)	(95)	(32)
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests		(6)	(383)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(479)	65	4
Other, net	0	(40)	(119)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(501)	(86)	(1,001)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	(413)	(305)	(169)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	499	804	973
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	86	499	804
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	2	11	3
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	4	4	7
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired		0	0
Deconsolidation of subsidiary cash	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0	0
Distributions from investments	0
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0	0	0
Other, net	0	183	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	4	187	7
NET CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	(30)	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing, and finance leases	0	(182)	0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Dividends paid on redeemable subsidiary preferred equity	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Redemption of redeemable subsidiary preferred equity			0
Debt issuance costs			0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	0	0	0
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interests		0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(6)	14	(10)
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(6)	(198)	(10)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year	0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH, end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0