Media buyers think they have the upper hand heading into this year's upfront television marketplace - but they may be calling the game too soon.

While the buyers are saying they'll be seeking concessions like price rollbacks and greater flexibility on terms and options, the networks think they can play the waiting game a lot longer than the media buyers can afford to.

At least one network, CBS, has actually said it intends to increase pricing this year. And several others have made it very clear that they don't intend to get pushed around by ad buyers, no matter how difficult the economy is.

The bottom line is that it's easier for cable networks to wait on making decisions than it is for drtv media buyers, who have a lot of pressure to deliver the right results to their clients in a short period of time. The cable networks, even if they're currently strapped for ad buyers, know that no buyer can afford to completely eschew air time - especially when their competitors are buying it up.

Meanwhile, ad buyers are investigating other sources, including digital markets like video games. We'll see how this waiting game plays out.