SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2024	Jun. 30, 2023	Jun. 30, 2024	Jun. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2023
Segment data
Assets	[1]	$ 5,686		$ 5,686		$ 6,085
Revenue		829	$ 768	1,627	$ 1,541
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		63	73	126	138
Amortization of program costs		18	19	37	41
Corporate general and administrative expenses		50	62	108	120
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment		2	5	2	11
Operating income (loss)		64	(3)	106	18
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		76	76	152	150
Income (loss) from equity method investments		78	(1)	92	30
Operating Segments | Local Media
Segment data
Assets		4,418		4,418
Revenue		750	699	1,477	1,404
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		58	67	116	126
Amortization of program costs		18	19	37	41
Corporate general and administrative expenses		29	46	70	78
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			(2)	0	(3)
Operating income (loss)		83	22	124	63
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		76	76	152	150
Income (loss) from equity method investments		0	0	0	0
Other & Corporate
Segment data
Assets		964		964
Revenue		20	14	35	31
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		0	1	1	3
Amortization of program costs		0	0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		21	16	37	42
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			7	2	14
Operating income (loss)		(20)	(28)	(39)	(66)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from equity method investments		78	(1)	93	30
Intersegment revenues		3	2	5	3
Eliminations
Segment data
Assets		(3)		(3)
Revenue		(8)	(5)	(15)	(9)
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		(1)	0	(2)	(1)
Amortization of program costs		0	0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			0	0	0
Operating income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from equity method investments		0	0	0	0
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC
Segment data
Assets	[2]	4,524		4,524		$ 4,837
Revenue		750	743	1,477	1,516
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		58	70	116	135
Amortization of program costs		18	19	37	41
Corporate general and administrative expenses		35	58	76	116
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment		0	4	0	10
Operating income (loss)		77	4	118	25
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		76	76	152	150
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		76		152
Income (loss) from equity method investments		0	0	0	31
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Operating Segments | Local Media
Segment data
Assets		4,439		4,439
Revenue		750	699	1,477	1,404
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		58	67	116	126
Amortization of program costs		18	19	37	41
Corporate general and administrative expenses		29	46	70	78
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			(2)		(3)
Operating income (loss)		83	22	124	63
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		76	76	152	150
Income (loss) from equity method investments					0
Intersegment revenues					1
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Corporate
Segment data
Assets		85		85
Revenue		0		0
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		0		0
Amortization of program costs		0		0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		6		6
Operating income (loss)		(6)		(6)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		$ 0		$ 0
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Other & Corporate
Segment data
Revenue			47		119
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets			3		10
Amortization of program costs			0		0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			12		38
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			6		13
Operating income (loss)			(18)		(38)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			0		0
Income (loss) from equity method investments					31
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Eliminations
Segment data
Revenue			(3)		(7)
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets			0		(1)
Amortization of program costs			0		0
Corporate general and administrative expenses			0		0
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment			0		0
Operating income (loss)			0		0
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs			$ 0		0
Income (loss) from equity method investments					$ 0

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include total assets of variable interest entities ("VIE") of $72 million and $85 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include total liabilities of VIEs of $14 million and $17 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 8. Variable Interest Entities.

[2] SBG's consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include total assets of variable interest entities ("VIE") of $72 million and $85 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. SBG's consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include total liabilities of VIEs of $14 million and $17 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to SBG. See Note 7. Variable Interest Entities.