Michael Smith leaves Unicorn and signs for Shot

World Champion and world number one Michael Smith has signed for New Zealand manufacturer Shot, bringing an end to his 10 years with Unicorn.

Later this month, a brand-new darts range for ‘Bully Boy’ will be released, featuring a wide range of products designed and manufactured at Shot’s facility in Katikati.

Smith made global headlines earlier this year when he won the world title, highlighted by his nine-darter in the World Championship final, which has been viewed over 25 million times on Twitter.

Smith has won 16 ranking titles since joining the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tour, including the 2023 world championship, the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, and three World Series tournaments in Shanghai and New York.

Shot Darts Managing Director Peter McCormick is thrilled to have Smith as the newest member of the Shot Pro family and envisions massive things for the partnership. “Like Shot, Michael’s never forgotten his grassroots and family connections. We chose Michael not just because of his success, but because we share the same values – that family is everything, grit and tenacity always pay off, and there’s no substitute for experience.”

“The sponsorship reflects our global plans for growth – particularly in the UK, and cements Shot at the top of darts worldwide,” says McCormick.

World Champion Michael Smithadds “I am over the moon to have signed with Shot Darts. From our very first meeting everything felt like a perfect fit. It always means a lot knowing you have a great team behind you, and I am really looking forward to working with everyone from this point. The standard of all the equipment produced by them has really impressed me and I cannot wait to see what is released going forward.  The aim now is to try and win more PDC Majors and form a very successful partnership”.