SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2024	Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2024	Dec. 31, 2024
Segment data
Assets	[1]	$ 5,567		$ 5,567		$ 5,885
Revenue		773	$ 917	2,333	$ 2,544
Media programming and production expenses		413	414	1,251	1,247
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		203	201	595	591
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		62	63	183	189
Amortization of program costs		21	18	57	55
Corporate general and administrative expenses		40	41	137	149
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(36)	(13)	(19)	(11)
Other segment items		12	14	36	39
Operating income		58	179	93	285
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		85	78	311	230
Gain on extinguishment of debt		0	0	6	1
Other income, net		29	24	(55)	22
Income (loss) before income taxes		0	125	(276)	170
Operating Segments | Local Media
Segment data
Assets		4,288		4,288
Revenue		667	845	2,040	2,322
Media programming and production expenses		378	384	1,148	1,149
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		165	188	497	549
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		56	58	166	174
Amortization of program costs		21	18	57	55
Corporate general and administrative expenses		21	24	85	94
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(3)	(11)	(23)	(11)
Other segment items		2	2	6	6
Operating income		27	182	104	306
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		85	78	311	230
Gain on extinguishment of debt				6	1
Other income, net		2	2	8	35
Other & Corporate
Segment data
Assets		1,011		1,011
Revenue		48	19	115	54
Media programming and production expenses		0	0	2	0
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		30	6	72	16
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		1	1	2	2
Amortization of program costs		0	0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		18	16	50	53
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(33)	(2)	4	0
Other segment items		12	12	33	36
Operating income		20	(14)	(48)	(53)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		0	0	0	0
Gain on extinguishment of debt				0	0
Other income, net		27	22	(63)	(13)
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC
Segment data
Assets	[2]	4,382		4,382		$ 4,689
Revenue		667	845	2,040	2,322
Media programming and production expenses		378	384	1,148	1,149
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		165	188	497	549
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		56	58	166	174
Amortization of program costs		21	18	57	55
Corporate general and administrative expenses		21	24	85	100
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(25)	(11)	(8)	(11)
Other segment items		2	2	6	6
Operating income		49	182	89	300
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		85	78	311	230
Gain on extinguishment of debt		0	0	6	1
Other income, net		2	3	8	36
Income (loss) before income taxes		(34)	107	(208)	107
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Operating Segments | Local Media
Segment data
Assets		4,318		4,318
Revenue		667	845	2,040	2,322
Media programming and production expenses		378	384	1,148	1,149
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		165	188	497	549
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		56	58	166	174
Amortization of program costs		21	18	57	55
Corporate general and administrative expenses		21	24	85	94
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(3)	(11)	(23)	(11)
Other segment items		2	2	6	6
Operating income		27	182	104	306
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		85	78	311	230
Gain on extinguishment of debt				6	1
Other income, net		2	$ 3	8	36
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Corporate
Segment data
Assets		64		64
Revenue		0		0	0
Media programming and production expenses		0		0	0
Media selling, general and administrative expenses		0		0	0
Depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of definite-lived intangibles and other assets		0		0	0
Amortization of program costs		0		0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		0		0	6
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net		(22)		15
Other segment items		0		0	0
Operating income		22		(15)	(6)
Interest expense including amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs		0		0	0
Gain on extinguishment of debt				0	0
Other income, net		$ 0		$ 0	0
Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC | Other & Corporate
Segment data
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions and other, net					$ 0

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIE”) of $78 million and $70 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 include total liabilities of VIEs of $9 million and $16 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 7. Variable Interest Entities.

[2] Sinclair Broadcast Group, LLC’s (“SBG”) consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIE”) of $78 million and $70 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. SBG’s consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 include total liabilities of VIEs of $9 million and $16 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to SBG. See Note 6. Variable Interest Entities.